Ai Hod Yu In
by ninjazreader13
Summary: Clarke Griffin is broken. It's obvious in the way she runs from those she loves and doubts herself. Still, she has compassion. When she meets a couple hiding their natblida daughter, she feels their pain. There are rules in place for those with Madi's blood. Rules for all grounder children. So it was good that Clarke wasn't a grounder, and her child wouldn't be one either.
1. Prologue

Ai Hod Yu In

Prologue

AN: Hey all those who are reading this. I just wanted to quickly say that this is, of course, an AU. Clarke may be a little OOC as well. However, this will mainly follow the show very closely. As such, I will be borrowing dialogue and major plot points from the show. Also, I have no clue how long this story is going to be or how regularly I will update it. I will try my best to be consistent with it, but that may not always be a possibility. Please be patient with me.

Disclaimer: I do not, nor will I ever, own the 100 or its characters. I am merely playing with a world that was brought to us by others.

Clarke Griffin stood outside the gates to Arkadia, trying to work up just enough nerve to walk away. She had to. She knew that. If she walked in those gates, she would not have the nerve to walk back out. She would be surrounded by those she'd sacrificed so much for. Monty had already left, having given her one last, lingering hug. He would be okay. He'd understood why she had to leave, and had told her to be safe. Now, here she stood. Stuck between two choices, both impossible. How could she leave them behind? More to the point, how could she not? The quote Dante Wallace had told her rang through her mind.

"I bear it so they don't have to," she thought to herself as Bellamy came back to join her. He was her rock. She could only do this because of him. She felt a momentary pang of guilt. He wouldn't let her pull that lever alone, and now she was about to leave him alone. What kind of monster did that make her? The kind that killed hundreds of people, she supposed.

"I think we deserve a drink," he told her, looking into camp along with her. He fit right in at this camp. Even his clothes did, threadbare and dirty though they were. He had to be as exhausted as she was, and she was going to leave this on him. She was going to leave him responsible for their people. She knew everyone would be okay, though. They would have him.

"Have one for me," she requested. He didn't understand yet. She knew that. He still wouldn't look at her, see the remorse she knew rested in her eyes. She almost wished she could bring herself to look at him, to commit the curly brown hair and his brown eyes to memory. She couldn't yet though.

"Hey. We'll get through this." The statement made her look down a bit in shame. He'd said we. Yet here she was, about to leave.

"I'm not going in," she told him softly, not taking her eyes off the camp still. For the first time since he'd joined her slightly creepy stare fest, he turned to her.

"Clarke, if you need forgiveness, I'll give that to you," her mind flashed back to telling him those same words. She was finally looking at him, and she knew that he deserved better than her, "You're forgiven. Please come inside."

"Take care of them for me." He looked as if he'd been punched in the gut, and she knew she'd feel the same way if the situation were reversed.

"Clarke-"

"No. Seeing their faces every day, it's just gonna remind me of what I did to get them here."

"What we did. You don't have to do this alone." She did, though. She looked inside, seeing their people moving around, doing their best to put themselves together again in the aftermath of this tragedy. She'd trusted the wrong person. She'd trusted Lexa, and it had almost cost her him. This was on her.

"I bear it so they don't have to." She nodded a bit to herself, and he looked so heartbroken, so lost. She'd said that particular quote quite a few times by now, and she supposed she would likely say it quite a few more. It was becoming a bit of a mantra for her.

"Where are you gonna go?" he asked her softly. He'd finally accepted her choice, she supposed.

"I don't know." She stepped forward, pressing a kiss to his cheek and pulling him in for a hug. She savored it for those precious moments. This would likely be the last time she'd see him. Even if they did come together again, they wouldn't be the same. She didn't want him to see how close she was to crying at this moment though, "May we meet again."

She pulled away finally, and knew it was time to start walking away. She didn't look back, but she knew she heard it. Those four little words that assured her that he didn't hate her for this choice she'd made. It assured her that he forgave her.

"May we meet again."


	2. Chapter 1

Ai Hod Yu In

Chapter 1

Though it had been a little over a month, Clarke still felt broken. She supposed she didn't actually think that going off into the woods would magically heal all her inner wounds, but she'd had hope. Her life was a constant cycle of hunting, eating, sleeping, trading, and hoping to keep herself from dying. After her actions at the mountain, the grounders had made her into a legend. _Wanheda,_ the commander of death, great slayer of the mountain. Kill her and you will gain her powers. That is what they said about her, at least.

She'd dyed her hair red with the juice from some berries she'd found in the hopes of disguising herself. The color didn't really suit her, but it kept her alive all the same. She'd ventured far from home, too. As she got farther from where those she had met were, she got more and more peace. The bounty hunters had, for the most part, died off. Her wish for peace was close to fruition.

She could not stop her worry for her people, though. The alliance with the grounders had been left behind when Lexa left them behind at the mountain. Though they had survived relatively well thus far, she knew that things would only get more difficult as winter drew closer. Had they figured out that the berries so close to camp were edible yet? She certainly hadn't until two weeks ago, when she accidentally ate a few that got mixed in with the known, safe berries. She still didn't know how that had happened either, but she supposed anything was possible these days.  
She'd gotten pretty decent at hunting lately, too. She could now kill an entire panther with minimal injuries, which was helpful when it came to trade. She wore outfits much like the grounders had, and it helped her to blend in.

She was tired of running, though. How could she not be? It drained her of all that made her her. She didn't take time to look at the beautiful new plants in wonder anymore. They had lost their edge, she supposed. She woke up screaming, night after night. Faces haunted her dreams. Whispers of "Thanks, princess," and Raven's screams, barely discernable from this far away. Wells lying there on the ground, fingers missing. Charlotte jumping off a cliff, a girl with some odd weapon sticking out of her face, and dead bodies all around. Her people screaming as the mountain men drilled into their bones. Grounders hung upside down, slowly being drained of blood. Radiation burns and burnt bodies. Gunshots and levers and Jasper crying over Maya all haunted her, and she wondered if they would ever stop.

Lexa haunted her, too. The way that it felt to have her lips against hers. The way that they'd fought together. The way she'd told her "Love is weakness." The betrayal she felt at the mountain. Her parting "I did what you would have done. Saved my people."

Clarke had begun to trust Lexa, in the days before she had left her behind. She hadn't believed anything serious would come out of it, but Clarke had been looking forward to spending time without Finn on her mind. There was another person she'd been trying to get her mind off of, but she dared not even think his name. Even that would be too much for her to take.

Now she was alone, though. Alone with her thoughts. Alone with her twisted feelings Well and truly alone. She didn't much like being alone, either. That was why she was approaching the small village she'd heard of in Shallow Valley. She had heard that they were very accepting of new residents. Louwada Kliron Kru fought when they had to, but for the most part they were a peaceful people. She was ready for peace, real peace.

There were little cabins all around the valley. Children ran around, and their parents softly scolded them when they got in anyone's way. A young couple sat on a porch with a baby, rocking it. These people had a society here. All she could do was hope they would let her in.

There weren't many people here. There couldn't be more than 100. She felt a flash of pain at that. There weren't even 50 left of the 100 now. That was on her. She didn't protect her people well enough.

"_Chon yu bilaik_?" a woman approached her. Clarke did her best to remember what that meant. She thought it meant who are you, but she supposed she could be wrong. She didn't know enough Trig to have a fluent conversation, so hopefully this woman spoke English.

"I am Clarke," she answered. It occurred to her after a moment that she probably should have come up with a fake name, but it was too late now. Perhaps Clarke was a more common name around the grounders as she thought.

"And why are you here, Clarke?" the woman asked her suspiciously. Some of the adults shooed the children into their homes, while others came to stand by the woman. She noticed that the young couple she had noticed had separated. The man stood before her now, his dark hair quite familiar to her. His wife had brought the child inside, much as the other villagers had.

"I was hoping to stay here, just for a short while. I can help around your village, however most benefits you. _Beja_." The woman thought for a moment, debating whether it was too dangerous to allow a complete and total stranger stay in their village where their children slept.

"You may stay, Clarke. Help us around here, and you may stay as long as you need."

Clarke felt a flash of relief. This was her newest chance. She could get better here, and then perhaps she would feel more ready to return to Arkadia. She already missed her people terribly, and she'd quickly realized that she would have to go back eventually. After a bit of time here, perhaps she'd be ready. One could only hope, she supposed.


	3. Chapter 2

Ai Hod Yu In

Chapter 2

AN: Hey guys! Thanks so much to all of you have read, reviewed, favorited, and followed this story! Hope you guys enjoy this chapter.

"Marcus, would you and Nala be willing to take Clarke in for now? I know Madi is a handful, but you two have the only available extra room right now," the woman spoke into the crowd, and the man with the familiar hair stepped forward.

"We would be more than happy to, Ali. If you'd like, Clarke, you can follow me on a tour right now." Marcus didn't really expect an answer to that, she supposed. He'd already started to walk away from the crowd. Having no other option, Clarke cautiously followed him.

"Thank you for opening your home to me and giving me this tour," Clarke hoped he would be a little talkative to her. She'd come here because of how lonely she was.

"It's no problem. My wife Nala has been lonely, stuck at home with our newborn Madi lately. The company will do us both some good. Though I must warn you that Madi does not like to let us sleep very much, and she'll likely wake you as well." he chuckled a bit, and she could almost hear the smile in his voice. He clearly adored both his wife and his daughter. It reminded her a bit of Bellamy when he talked about Octavia, actually. The same affection covered both their tones. He gestured around.

"Welcome to Shallow Valley. We are a close community. We have about 25 kids here, my daughter Madi being the youngest. My son Gustus is six. We don't have many old ones here anymore. They've all passed on to their next journey, I suppose. To your left, you will see the schoolhouse. We don't really have enough kids to have individual classes, and the older ones are generally apprenticing anyways. All the children from age 3 to 12 go to school there," he paused for a moment, seeming to be thinking hard about something.

"Your village is beautiful," she remarked quietly, trying her best to fill the silence. Marcus didn't seem interested in focusing on anything but whatever was on his mind though.

Clarke felt her mind wandering, as it often did, to a certain dark-haired spacewalker. Before, in the middle of a war, it had been easy to cast the thought of him aside. She had to focus on her people, on saving them. Now, Finn was often on her mind. She could remember how he had looked at her, so full of wonder and love. She remembered how safe she felt with him. She had lost Finn long before he died, but his death… It broke her to kill him herself. She had to save him, though. She knew that what he would have been through, going through the pain of 17 deaths, would have been horrible. She did the right thing. She hoped so, at least.

Hoping to forget Finn for a moment, Clarke's mind instead wandered to Bellamy. She felt so guilty for leaving him behind, but she also knew she had to leave. Her mind was too consumed with the past right now, too raw from the recent traumas she'd endured. She had hope though. One day, she'd be ready. She just hoped Bellamy would take her back then.

Bellamy was her best friend. He was the one who gave her a purpose. He kept her centered. She knew she was lucky to have him in her life. How could she not know? When she agreed to let him go inside the mountain, she'd first had to admit to herself how much he meant to her. She first had to admit that maybe, somewhere deep down, she might love him. Love him as she loved Finn. Love was weakness, though. She'd learned that one lesson from Lexa.

"And this is my wife and I's home," Marcus's voice brought her back to the real world. She was surprised to note that she'd seemingly toured the entirety of the village while she was out of it. The little house in front of them was nice. It was one of the only houses in the village to have a front porch, and on it stood the woman and baby from earlier. Joining her was a young boy, likely the child Gustus.

"Hello, I'm Nala, and these are my children Gustus and Madi. Welcome to our home," the woman told me. She had sad blue eyes and black hair. She looked… scared, tired perhaps. She looked like the kind of woman who spent way too much time worrying. Most of all, though, she looked sad. Her husband had looked sad too, now that she thought about it.

"Hi. I'm Clarke. It's nice to meet you," Clarke did her best to smile, though it was not easy at all. It had been so long since she had genuinely smiled that it seemed she had forgotten. Still, she had no choice but to hope for the best with this new arrangement.


	4. Chapter 3

Ai Hod Yu In

Chapter 3

**AN: Hey guys! Sorry it's taken me so long to update this. I don't know why, but I had a lot of trouble writing this chapter. Really quickly, I just wanted to say a HUGE thank you to all of you have read, followed, favorited, or reviewed this story. Now, with that said, on to the story!**

Clarke hadn't really thought of how things would continue as time went on in Shallow Valley. After her first two weeks, she had met pretty much everyone. One boy was about her age, and he had just returned from serving in _Heda_'s army. He often bragged about how wise _Heda_ had been to leave Skaikru to die. She often had to restrain herself from punching him in the face.  
She had begun to help the village healer, and she was amazed at how much she'd learned while here. She had a basic knowledge of Grounder medicine, but there was so much more she needed to learn still. Still, the job had brought her back to the early days with the 100, when she was constantly found tending to the sick or injured. She'd constantly been learning something new about medicine on the ground then too, and it was a much simpler time.

She'd found herself quite fond of Nala, Marcus, Gustus and little Madi as well. The small family was very close. Madi was too young to participate in the family dinners and game nights that they often had, but she would grow into them. Nala and Clarke had often sat in the earliest hours of the morning with a cup of tea, and Nala would insist that Clarke should talk about the nightmares that woke her every night. Clarke had assured her that she was just fine, but the other woman had sent her a look that assured her that she knew she was anything but.

Clarke was amazed at the fact that she could even deal with the tiny little human that was Madi, though. Clarke had only met a few babies in her life. Children were highly regulated on the ark, and most of them had died when coming to the ground. Still, Madi was different than any child that she had met. She had her mother's blue eyes, though her eyes were shaped more like her father's. Her father's brown hair, but the curls were all her mother's. Her little body was very pale, and she had the littlest fingers and toes. She was perfect.

"Clarke!" Gustus called out excitedly, running back to the house after his day of school. "Can we draw together? Please?"

Gustus had decided that Clarke's ability to draw was the coolest thing ever, and he'd quickly decided that he had to learn as well. Since then, the little boy had begged every day for her to let him draw her, and she would give him pointers as they went along. He wasn't too bad either. You could tell that the drawings were made by a child, but they had to be advanced. She wouldn't expect that level of expertise from just any child.

Marcus had become a bit of a bright spot in her life as well. She couldn't quite put her finger on who he reminded her of just yet. So far, she was leaning more towards her father. Her father had been just as close to her as Marcus was to Gustus. The little boy idolised his father, and who could blame him really? Marcus went out early morning with the hunting parties every day. He was considered 'first shift' of that particular job. Midday, the 'second shift' would trade off. Marcus would spend his second half of the day helping at the farms that supplied most of the village's food.

Meanwhile, Nala spent her days looking after all of the village's rowdy children as the school's teacher. The children all adored her, and Clarke couldn't really blame them. Nala was the kind of person who made you like her automatically. It didn't mean Clarke trusted the woman, but Clarke didn't really trust anyone these days. That was why everyone thought she was from another clan. No one knew that she was really skaikru, and that was how she preferred it.

"Let's go then, little Gustus. Perhaps we can try to incorporate some trees into your drawing as well today. What do you think about that?" the little boy seemed even more excited if that was possible. His trees had improved a bit, but she knew that if he kept drawing them they would only improve.

"Maybe some birds, too!" His smile did her in. He had little dimples when he smiled, and she could never help herself. She always had to smile back.

"Birds, too, if you want," she laughed, "Let me go see if your nomon minds us taking your sister for a bit."

"Take her!" she heard a shout from a few feet away. Nala giggled as she passed the baby over to her, "I never mind a bit of alone time with my husband, and I certainly never mind a free caretaker."

Clarke held Madi in one arm and Gustus's hand in the other as she made her way to their spot. She situated Madi on a blanket in the grass, and she laid next to her. She closed her eyes, and for the first time in a long time she felt safe. If only that feeling could last forever.


	5. Chapter 4

Ai Hod Yu In

Chapter 4

It was a Sunday when things changed for Clarke forever, though she didn't know at the time how long those changes would affect her. She'd spent most of the time with little Madi and Gustus. Gustus had amazed her with his newest drawing. She had fallen asleep on the couch with Madi on her chest. He'd decided to draw them. It was by far his best work. She'd hung it up in her room.

On Sunday, Clarke decided to make a meal for the family. She chopped up some of the vegetables from the garden and some cooked it along with some meat the hunters had brought back. She was focused entirely on her meal, and was, therefore, taken by surprise when Madi began screaming. She turned around and hurried to the play area as quickly as possible. Madi had a cut on her hand, and Gustus was hiding and wailing. The most surprising thing, though, was that Madi's blood was the wrong color. It was black instead of red. She couldn't freak out about that yet, though. There was a good bit of blood coming out of the girl's hand, and she had to focus on that.

"Gustus, I need you to go get me some bandages from the cupboard, okay?" she asked him. The boy was too distraught, though. "Gustus, your sister will be fine, but I need you to do as I ask you."

"You won't take her away because of her blood?" the boy asked her. He looked so scared, and Clarke knew then that she would do whatever it took to help him. She vowed to herself that she would protect Gustus and Madi until her dying breath. No matter what.

"I won't take away your sister. I promise. We do need to patch her up before anyone else sees her blood though, okay. Can you help me help your sister?"

The boy ran up the steps for the bandages, and Clarke took a look at the hand. It looked like she had been overreacting up until now. She had probably had nails too long and cut herself with them. The cut wasn't even bleeding as badly as she thought. The black quality of her blood had put Clarke in panic mode, and in truth it was all for nothing. Not for nothing, she reminded herself. Soon she would have to confront her friends on why their daughter's blood was the wrong color.

"Shit," she swore to herself, remembering the food she had been cooking in the kitchen. She quickly took it off the stove and figured it could wait a bit.

Madi calmed down as soon as Clarke picked her up to soothe her, which was good. That was when Nala and Marcus came home, and they could see by Clarke's face that they might not be a huge fan of the conversation they had to have next.

"Gustus, go play in your room," Nala ordered softly. Clarke didn't say anything for a moment, not wanting Gustus to hear this conversation.

"Why is your daughter's blood black?" she finally asked, still rocking the baby softly. Madi smiled and closed her eyes, drifting off to sleep in her arms.

"The same reason as anyone would be born a natblida."

"And why is that?" Clarke realised after she said it that this might give her away, but she was too concerned at the moment to care.

"What clan did you say you were from again?" Marcus asked suspiciously, stepping forward and reaching to take Madi away. Clarke gave him a glare, daring him to wake the sleeping child.

"Skaikru," she finally muttered, knowing she had no choice now. She needed answers, and she had to trust them with that at the least.

"That actually explains a lot," Nala murmured to Marcus. Finally, she spoke, "If we tell you this, you must swear that you will not let anyone know about Madi. This must stay a secret. Please, Clarke. Swear it to me, and I will tell you anything you want to know."

"I swear to you that I will keep Madi safe no matter what. If that means keeping this quiet, so be it."

"Every once in a while, a child is born a natblida. Their blood is the wrong color. They are supposed to be sent to Polis, to participate in the next Conclave to determine the leader of our people. The conclave is a fight to the death, though. It only has winner, and I can not let Madi go through that. I want Madi to be happy, and she never would if that was her life. Maybe it is selfish, but I just want my baby girl safe, as far away from Polis as possible."

"What would they do if they found out?"

"They would kill anyone who knew, and take Madi. All of us would die."


	6. Chapter 5

Ai Hod Yu In

Chapter 5

In the few days since finding out the truth about one another, Clarke, Marcus, and Nala had only grown closer. The truth of the matter was that all the secrets had meant they had put up walls. With the walls gone, Clarke finally felt free to trust her newest friends. During their morning talks, Clarke would tell Nala about her nightmares and the people she missed. In return, Nala had confided in Clarke just how scared she was for her daughter. After hearing more about the conclave, Clarke could not blame her. She would never want to be around such a bloody way of life.

She was walking in the village with Madi today. It was so nice out that it simply didn't seem right to spend the day cooped up in the house. There were people she didn't know today, though. That always put her on high alert. She made her way closer to the shadows and the people, hoping to hear more.

"Osir souda ge a natblida," one of the two murmured. Clarke grew even more on edge. She didn't know who they were, nor what they said. She did know natblida, however. She was holding one right now.

"Come, Madi. Let's go somewhere a little safer, huh?" she asked, turning and making her way to the forest. It would likely take a few hours or so for these people to leave. Until then, Madi would be safe with her. She would protect her, just as she had promised.

She sat in a clearing far away from the village and let herself dive deep into her thoughts. Recently, she'd been thinking it might be time to go home. She could go right now, and no one would know. She could pretend Madi was hers. Madi would be safer that way. She knew instantly she could never do that to her friends, though. Nala and Marcus would be devestated in that case. She couldn't leave alone, either. She had to stay to protect Madi and Gustus. Which only left making her move to Shallow Valley permanent. There had to be an open home somewhere. She could live there forever, watching over and protecting her younglings.

For the first time, Clarke really thought about how she felt about Madi and Gustus. It was as much as she would imagine she would love her own children. It hit her hard. Any child of hers would be a target. She could never do that to a child. That meant that Madi and Gustus had to be it for her. The only kids she'd ever have even a slight part in the upbringing of. The love of her life was gone, and she wasn't sure she wanted to try to replace him. Finn was too special, even with how lost he was in the end. She was alone, even now in this village surrounded by friends. Always alone.

Or maybe not so alone right now, she had to admit after hearing a twig snap. Someone was here right now. Suddenly, the men from before attacked her. She quickly drew her knife, throwing it at one. It hit him in the chest, causing blood to flow from his mouth and his body to drop. Clarke grabbed another knife she kept on her, and just in time. The man was already to her. He cut her thigh with his spear, and she slashed his arm with her knife. They fought continuously, each hit doing nothing but make him mad, each cut missing by inches. Clarke looked over at Madi, and gained the strength. She kicked his sword out of his hand and stabbed him the same as she did his partner.

After that, she automatically ran over to Madi. Luckily, the little girl had been nowhere near the actual fight. While Clarke herself was covered in bruises and cuts, Madi was unharmed.

The second one laughed, and Clarke finally realized that he was still alive. His breathing was shallow, but he was still mostly in better shape than Clarke.

"Why do this?" Clarke asked. The boy was younger than her. He had blonde hair. He was a person, whether she wanted to admit it or not.

"For my Heda." he murmured, eyes drifting shut.

"Yu gonplei ste odon." she whispered, about to return. It should be safe now. The threat was gone. She'd have to talk to Nala and Marcus about her plan once she came back. They were better planners than her.

"Have fun at home." he laughed, finally breathing his last breath. A feeling of dread consumed her. He was too happy. Something was wrong at home.

Once again, Clarke Griffin's life would change forever. However, this change may not be as welcome as the last was.


	7. Chapter 6

Ai Hod Yu In

Chapter 6

**AN: Hey guys! Thanks to all of you who have been reading, reviewing, following, and favoriting this story. You guys have really been motivating me to try to write another chapter, believe it or not. Unfortunately, I've been super busy with work and my internet has been down, so this is a little bit late. So sorry for that. Still, I'm sure you guys are really here for the story so here you go.**

Clarke could not escape her feeling of dread as she returned back to the village that had been her home for the past few weeks. Something was wrong. She knew it. She just did not know what. The boy's laughter echoed in her mind. His parting words, "Have fun at home."

How did he know where her home was? Looking back on it, he seemed to recognize her. How, though? Had someone from the village tipped him off to Madi? No one knew about Madi, though. That was the only reason why she was still allowed to live with her parents, why Clarke felt she would be able to have a long, happy life. As long as no one knew who Madi was, the girl was safe. If someone had jeopardized Madi, Wanheda would pick up her sword once more.

Clarke couldn't even say why she felt the need to hide as she entered the village. Still, the nagging feeling that they may have been betrayed made her decide to ensure that no one could see her return.

The house looked the same as always. Clarke entered through the back, knowing that she needed to act fast. She'd return Madi to her parents first, then go to find out who had given Madi up. She'd make them suffer, of course. They had endangered Madi, and so it was only right. She'd find out if there were more people coming, and then she'd convince her friends that they all needed to move. Madi was in danger here.

Nothing prepared her for the sight that greeted her, though. Entering the kitchen, everything was trashed. Plates were shattered everywhere. Bowls were smashed over the counters. The food stores were ripped apart. Clarke thought she saw blood on the ground, too.

She entered the living room next, and once again it was torn apart. Someone had taken a knife to the couch, and the stuffing from inside it littered the floor. Game pieces were mixed in as well.

"Shit," she muttered to herself before remembering the baby, "You didn't just hear that. Your mom would kill me. Understood?"

She felt a feeling of dread as she headed upstairs, and she finally let out a sob. The body was covered in blood, which seemed to have stemmed from a wound to the gut. There was also a slice across the throat.

"NO!" she closed her eyes for a moment, willing the image to go away. "Marcus!" Marcus's body remained, though. She hoped against hope that this would be the only body she would find today, but had a bad feeling that that was not to be true. She shook away her grief for the moment, and instead she stepped over her friend's body and into his bedroom.

"Nala!" she whispered this time, though the body was no less gruesome. The young mother had been trying to stop them from entering the room, though it was clear she had failed. Clarke thought that might even be her sword that was thrust into her gut. Just like every other room she'd been into, this room too was trashed. Unlike the others, however, this one had the added bonus of blood and a body. Clarke stepped further in, attempting to steel herself for the last image she was sure was coming. Finally, she knelt down.

Sure enough, Gustus was hiding under the bed, eyes shut tightly. His little hands were weakly holding once of the wooden stands for the bed. He looked terrified, and Clarke felt more pain and rage than she'd ever felt before. She should have been here for him, should have been here for them all. She finally let out a devastated sob, gently pulling the lifeless boy out of the puddle of his own blood and cradling him close while brushing her hand against his soft hair and beginning to hum the lullaby his parents had sung to him.

This boy had so much life left to live. He was supposed to grow up. He was supposed to end up being a better artist than her. He was supposed to be there for his little sister, protecting her. He was supposed to live, not die cowering under a bed. He was supposed to live long after her. He was supposed to see the world. He was supposed to become a teacher. Clarke was supposed to be the commander of death, but she felt, in that moment, like it was more likely that death commanded her. She'd lost so much in her life. Being around her got people killed. This poor family had taken her in, had been her friends. She'd gotten them killed. She was a curse, a plague.

And so she sat in a bedroom, with only several dead bodies and a crying baby for company, and she sobbed uncontrollably.


	8. Chapter 7

Ai Hod Yu In

Chapter 7

AN: Hey guys. Sorry that this chapter took a bit longer than I meant. School just started back up for me so I was having a bit of trouble figuring out how to balance this story along with work and school. Never fear, though. I'll have it figured out soon. Thanks so much to all of you who have been so amazing about this story. I appreciate all of you guys who are reading, reviewing, following, or favoriting. You guys make my day every time I see a new one pop up. Anyways, I'm sure you didn't come here to hear me ramble so on with the story.

Clarke wanted to simply wallow in grief for her friends and her pseudo-son forever. She would have, too, if it was not for Madi. With Madi around, Clarke knew the danger was not over. She wished that she could stick around and find out who had turned them in. She wished Nala, Marcus, and Gustus were still alive. They weren't, though. Finding the traitor wouldn't change that. She supposed she would have to come back once she was settled into her new home.

Thinking about it made it seem real, though. Where could she go? Anywhere she went, she would be hunted. She was Wanheda, the commander of death. She was the mountain slayer. People wanted her dead everywhere.

The safest place was Arkadia, but they would have questions of course. How could they not? If Clarke returned home with a baby that she kidnapped, they would turn Madi over and probably lock up Clarke herself.

She'd have to pretend that Madi was hers by blood, she realized. She'd have to claim she'd either been pregnant when they sent the 100 down, or had gotten pregnant soon after. Since they'd likely done medical checks before sending them down, she'd probably have to go with after. The timeline would be close, but not impossible. She'd say she found out in Mount Weather, and had to leave from there. People would likely assume Finn as the father, and she'd have to let them. She hadn't really talked to anyone else in the beginning, at least not seriously. And Finn was no longer around to correct their assumptions anyways. Taking a quick glance down at Madi, Clarke supposed she could pass as Finn and Clarke's daughter.

Clarke finally set Gustus's body back down and stepped out of the room. She needed she and Madi's things, and she had to go. There could be more _fleimkeepers_ out there, and Clarke was not particularly inclined to find out. It was easier to instead pretend that she was in a rush and be gone by the time anyone found out what fate had befallen the little family. Hopefully they thought Madi had been taken by the _fleimkeepers_ back to Polis instead of by Clarke herself. It would make things much easier.

"We are going to be okay, little one. I'm so sorry about your family, but I promise that we will be okay. We are family. I will protect you til the end. That is my vow to you," Clarke whispered to the baby as she packed all their things, "But now it's time to go home. I wish that we could stay here and mourn your parents. I wish that there was some other way to keep you safe."

Clarke knew she needed to go as soon as possible, but she wasn't ready yet. This little village may not have been her home for long, but it felt like she had been here forever. This little family had been hers. This little house, even, had been hers. It felt like a betrayal to Nala and Marcus, to take Madi and run without looking back. It felt like a betrayal to Gustus, who had been so talented when it came to art. It even felt like a betrayal to the Clarke she had once been, so full of morals and ideas of the good in people. That Clarke would have been so angry that she was practically kidnapping this child and taking her as her own. She'd have thought that this was wrong. That Clarke was a foolish girl who had never even dreamed that she would take a life.

"You know, my friend Bellamy will just love you. He helped to raise his sister, you know. Where I come from, people don't have siblings. Only him. He would tell me that I'm doing the right thing. He would tell me that if I needed forgiveness, he'd give it to me. I'd be forgiven with no second thoughts. We're constantly forgiving each other for mistakes we've made. He'll probably be mad at me for a while, but he'll love you from the first time he sees you. And who could blame him? You are the cutest little thing. Let's go home now, little one. Let's go home."


	9. Chapter 8

Ai Hod Yu In

Chapter 8

**A/N: Hey guys. Sorry it has taken me so long to post this. I just started back up in school, so it's been a hectic past few weeks. In any case, I've really appreciated all the reviews and follows and favorites. Now, for the most part I am trying to stick fairly close to canon. That being said, Madi being around is a huge change. I myself love Bellamy and Clarke together, and eventually I have every intention of them being together. That being said, there is a while to go before we get together. Have patience though because it will come eventually.**

Clarke had never felt more exhausted in her life. She'd been heading back to Arkadia for the past few days, and it never stopped. The addition of a baby to the trip made things even worse for Clarke. She loved Madi more than anything of course, but the next time the little girl started to cry Clarke just might join her.

Clarke was hungry, too. She was not quite sure what the right way to hunt was with a child around. She did her best, but her latest kill had managed to scratch her back. She knew she needed some type of medical attention, but how could she possibly do that? She knew she needed help, and fast. Luckily, she'd been in this area once before. Back in the days before she'd gone to Shallow Valley, she'd hunted in these grounds often. Even better, she'd had a short flirtation with a grounder girl at a trading post not too far from here. It was not perfect, but undoubtedly Niylah would help her. She would not ask questions.

Madi fussed a bit more, and Clarke began to rethink her idea for a minute. How was she supposed to take care of this child? Madi was not an easy child, of that she knew. She constantly wanted to be held. She'd been a handful when there were no others, how could she alone take care of her? She supposed that with time Madi would grow out of the constant fussing, but there was still a long while before that would happen.

Before Clarke knew it, she was at the small trading post that Niylah's father owned. It could not have come soon enough, however. Along with a fussing baby, Clarke also was dragging a panther behind her. She was exhausted and bleeding. She just wanted to be at Arkadia already, but there was probably another three days of walking to go.

All she could do was slowly enter the trading post, hoping that it was only Niylah who was there at the moment.

Luck appeared to be on her side, as there was no sign of the older man anywhere around. Instead, Niylah stood behind a small counter, her dirty blonde hair in tiny braids going down her back.

"Good kill," Niylah commented, staring at the panther and then the baby strapped to her chest, "And that seems to be a new addition."

"Thanks. The usual supplies." Clarke responded, taking a moment to glance down at Madi's sleeping face. She was so glad that the baby had calmed down.

"You always seem to come when my father's just left," Niylah commented, "Good timing. Who is she?"

"My daughter," Clarke responded quickly. It was at that moment that three grounders entered the trading post. Clarke moved to the side, keeping her head down and hoping not to be noticed.

"You have something to trade?" Niylah was confident as ever, her eyes staying trained on the first man, "I asked you a question."

The man walked back to Niylah, taking a drawn portrait from his pockets. Clarke was sure that the portrait was of her, that she had been made. With three days of a walk til she reached Arkadia, she was screwed, "Have you seen this woman?"

"That's not a very good likeness," Niylah told him, only looking for a second before she returned her gaze to him. Clarke glanced over in alarm. She hadn't even had Madi a week and they were about to be killed.

"Then you have seen her?" the man asked again. Clarke knew what was coming next. Niylah would give her and Madi up. She'd never see Bellamy or her mother again. She'd never know what Madi's first words were, never see her first steps or watch her with her first crush. She was a horrible mother. No, she wasn't even a horrible mother. She was a horrible kidnapper. This child wasn't even hers to claim.

"She was here two days ago. That's how I got this," Niylah gestured to the familiar wristband Clarke had noticed she had. "Said she was going North, following Eden's pass."

"Azgeda," one of the other men insisted, "We have to hurry.

"Thank you. You have been more helpful than you realize." the first man said, and all three of them began to leave. Before he did, he looked over to the corner where Clarke stood once more, and she did her best to once again be unnoticeable.

Once they were gone, Clarke finally walked out and asked the question she was desperate to know the answer to, "How long have you known?"

"How long have you been coming here?" Clarke gave her a grateful look and glanced toward the door, "I would wait. Give them a chance to clear out. Have a drink."

"Why are you helping me?" That was the real question Clarke wanted to know the answer to.

"My mother was taken by the mountain. You ended the reaping." She gave a quick nod to her, "You're injured."

"Yeah. The cat got me." Clarke told her

"Come on. Let me clean that up for you."


	10. Chapter 9

Ai Hod Yu In

Chapter 9

AN: Hey guys. I'm finally back with another update. This one is really short. Sorry about that. I've really been struggling to write it. I'm gonna try and get them out faster, but the outline I do have has disappeared so I'm kind of winging it here.

Clarke woke up with a gasp. Turning to her side, she saw Niylah lying fast asleep. She looked peaceful. Meanwhile, Clarke knew she herself was a mess. She couldn't actually remember the last time she'd bathed. She'd found that the dirt and grime separated her even more from the old Clarke, the one who had always had to act perfect.

Clarke knew Madi would begin to fuss soon, and supposed it would be best that they be long gone before the little girl demanded her next meal. Clarke had never before felt so grateful that she had been a medical intern on the Ark than when she first had to feed Madi without Nala by her side. There had been some women who simply couldn't breastfeed, and Clarke had always been there when they stimulated the breasts to produce milk.

"Come, little one," she whispered to Madi as she started to gather their things. She was hoping to get through another mile or so before she actually had to nurse the baby. She was trying to speed up their journey as much as possible. It was dangerous in the forest. The incident with the panther had only proven that.

Finally, the baby and everything else were finally packed up. Clarke barely spared the sleeping form of Niylah a glance before she started to the door. The air was soothing on her skin, and she took a moment to savor the feeling. Madi slept on in her homemade sling, completely oblivious as always to the dangers they were constantly facing. If Clarke herself were caught by the bounty hunters earlier, her life would not be the only one lost. She had to make it back to Arkadia safely for Madi. She had to get back safely for her child.

Gustus would have been so excited to be going to Arkadia, Clarke realized. He had always wanted to find new things to draw. He'd even asked her where she was from a few times, and she had answered as best as she could. Still, the little boy had already had so many secrets he had to hide. She hadn't wanted to burden him with any more than she had to. She'd told him about her first home on the ground with as many safe details as possible, and he'd loved her descriptions of the land surrounding the dropship. Tears welled up in her eyes again as she remembered that she would never be able to take him to see that land that had meant so much to her.

"It's time to get as far away from here as possible, darling. Still, your Nomon will protect you." It still felt weird to call herself this child's mother. She was only doing it so often as it was so that she would not hesitate when it was finally time for her to rejoin society and she would have to convince them that this child was hers by blood.

Clarke finally began to walk away from the trading post. She had only gotten a few steps when she felt an arm pull her. She felt something sharp press against her throat, and a pit of dread filled her. She could not see who was holding her, but she knew it had to be one of the bounty hunters from earlier. Perhaps she would have a chance if it was just the one. Perhaps he had ditched his friends in the hopes of keeping the reward for himself.

"Hello, Wanheda," a gravelly voice growled in her ear, and Clarke closed her eyes for a second. She was really and truly screwed. She had to get them out of this somehow.


	11. Chapter 10

Ai Hod Yu In

Chapter 10

AN: So to make up for the insanely short one last time and the fact that it's been so long since I updated, I've got another one for you guys already. Enjoy!

Clarke did her best to shield Madi as they walked. Her hands were bound and she had a cloth gag in her mouth, but her daughter came first. She did her best to keep up with the fast pace the man before her kept. All she wanted was to collapse on the ground and be done with it, but this man was a threat to her. Even worse, this man was a threat to her child.

Clarke had thought she was done with being Wanheda, done with the fighting and death, but the threat to her child had changed things. She would protect her child at any cost, of course. This man was a threat, and she would take care of him accordingly.

Carefully, she collapsed to the ground on her back. A plan had come to mind, and she hoped it would work. The man tried his best to drag her, but as she suspected, she was too heavy with all their things.

"On your feet," the man's voice said. She stayed as she was, doing her best to appear to be passed out. The man came closer, and she stayed still as best she could, "Look like the great Wanheda is human after all."

She heard footsteps heading toward the water a few feet away, and she did her best to keep quiet as she attacked the man. She was doing her best to not injure Madi in the process, but unfortunately she had no way to take the baby out of the sling with her hands bound as they were. She jumped on the man's back, using the bond for her hands to choke him. He stumbled forward a few steps, then fell face first into the water. She held his face in as best she could, being careful not to let Madi into the water as well. Finally, the stranger stopped struggling, and Clarke moved the rope from his throat. She took the gag off as well, staring at the newest body she had left behind. Should she feel bad for the relief she felt now that he was dead? Probably not. He had kidnapped her, threatened her life and her child. She was allowed to feel relieved he was gone.

The man surged up with a shout, elbowing back at her. Apparently he was not as gone as she had thought. It hit her in the gut, and she doubled over in pain. He flipped her over himself and forced her onto her back in the water. Her face was left under the water, and Clarke was very grateful that at the very least this water was shallow enough that Madi would not drown with her. It was a small mercy, as her daughter would undoubtedly be killed right after her, but it was a comfort at the least. He kept her underneath for a bit, then allowed her to come back up with a gasp.

This threat had proven that he could best her, and so as she looked at him, she felt something akin to terror. After all, he could kill her and her child without a second thought.

"That's better," he murmured. The two of them simply spent a minute staring at each other, each sizing their enemy up. Clarke finally got a good look at the man who held her life in his hands, and her terror only grew. She recognized the mark on his face. It was one of her biggest fears after all.

"You're ice nation," she finally said, perhaps for the first time understanding how screwed she was. He only smirked and once again forced her up on her feet and to begin walking again.


	12. Chapter 11

Ai Hod Yu In

Chapter 11

The man forced her to the ground, pinning her down on her back. The tall grass all around them kept them hidden from view.

"Quiet," he told her. Finally, he brought her up to a sitting position, leaning her back against a tree trunk. The two of them both looked over at the people passing. She could barely see them over the grass, but she knew they were there. The man held his knife to her throat, "Ice nation scouts. Come on, we back track. Then we go around."

Clarke did the math in her head. If they were fighting this man, she might have an opportunity to get away before they were finished. If she could escape, she could ensure that she and Madi were safe. She began to scream as loud as she could. The sound woke Madi, who decided to join in on the fun. The two screaming voices caught the mens' attention. She couldn't see them in this position, but she certainly heard their swords come out. The man glared at her for a moment.

"Their deaths are on you," he told her, covering her head with a cloth bag of some sort. He forced her up and to follow him.

As she carefully followed the man, she tried her best to figure out what he was saying. Unfortunately, she couldn't quite make it out. It didn't take too long before one of the other men lifted the hood from her head. Both men seemed to just stare at her for a moment. All of them had raggedy hoods pulled over their heads. One had a bow. The one with the bow kept it firmly trained on the man holding her.

There was more murmuring around with all four men, and even though she couldn't quite understand it all, she could tell she would be no better off with these men.

Then, suddenly, the man holding her dropped her bonds. She didn't hesitate. She just ran. She knew that it would take a while for this fight to be over, but no matter who won she wanted to get away from them. She had to protect her child. It was all that drove her. Still, the man was good. A man had followed her, and with an arrow to his back he fell on top of her. She did her best to cushion Madi's fall. If there was something wrong with her daughter because of this then there would be hell to pay. She promised herself that, at least. Still, trapped as she was, she was well aware that it may very well be an empty promise. She wished Bellamy were here. He wouldn't let anything happen to Madi. She trusted Bellamy with her life. She spotted a knife that the other man had dropped, and she grabbed and hid it as quickly as possible.

"Didn't have to be this way," the man told her, moving the body off her back. He began to lift her up, and she lunged forward with the knife in her hand. She stabbed at his gut, his throat, and even his head. She was distracted, though. He grabbed hold of her collar, staring at her for a moment.

"If you were going to kill me you would have done it already," she told him, glaring at his form for a moment.

"There's still time," he told her, beginning to drag her away after a moment. She debated for a moment. This man was her kidnapper. He wouldn't care about her worries or concerns. What if she hadn't shielded Madi well enough though? What if she'd gotten cut and started bleeding? That would make things complicated.

She really had no choice here. She wanted so badly to check over every square inch of Madi, to kiss and soothe every hurt. She'd never really thought that was the type of parent she'd be when she inevitably had her allotted one child on the Ark, but she'd thought she'd be more like her mother, who had spent more time working than raising her child. There were plenty of programs to watch children on the Ark.

Her dad had often taken time off of his engineering to take her for walks around the Ark. He'd kissed every injury and tell her that it was magically better now. He'd been her rock. He'd been an amazing parent, and she wasn't surprised at all that she found herself subconciously trying to copy him with her own child. Still, her father had things much easier than her. He didn't have people likely trying to kill them both while raising her.

So she did her best to shush Madi as she was pulled along. She hummed to her child and tried her best to make sure Madi was unnoticed by anyone. She held herself back from begging this stranger to let her check over her daughter. She paid attention to what she could notice about Madi without physically stopping and checking her. And most of all, she continued to hope that her child was okay. After all, that was all she could do right now.


	13. Chapter 12

Ai Hod Yu In

Chapter 12

A/N: Hey guys. I've got two new chapters out at once, so yay for that. Next chapter we finally get to see Bellamy again. So exciting! And Clarke is certainly in hot water right now! Thanks to all of you guys who have been so awesome about reading this story. Really quickly wanted to clear some questions up. Yes, this is going to be Bellarke eventually. However, there is some time until they do get together. The way I'm writing this story is that I rewatch the episodes and I try to come up with how it would go in this universe. A lot of the events will end up similar to the show. However, as we get further along there will be more and more differences. Like Bellamy and Clarke actually getting together, for one. I've got ideas for pretty far along, but this story will likely be until at the very least to the end of season 4, though I might go further if I feel that I can do it without completely screwing up who they are as people. Sorry about the long author's note. Without further ado, here is the story.

The man did not stop dragging her until they got into the forest. From there, he dug out a map and spent a moment staring at it. Clarke, meanwhile, couldn't stop feeling on edge. On the field, it had felt like they were being watched. The feeling was gone now, but it had left her one edge. The feeling had almost comforted her for a moment, but she was well aware of the fact that enemies could be anywhere. If someone had been watching them in the field, they were more likely foe than friend.

If there was another enemy coming, she had no idea what to do though. She wanted to keep fighting, but it was very obvious to her that that just might be putting Madi in more danger. She couldn't do that. She couldn't risk her daughter. The fact remained, however, that her daughter was in danger even now. She didn't know what was the right thing in this situation. She didn't know what was the biggest danger was at the moment.

Nala had been amazing at knowing when danger was coming. Marcus had been the protector, but Nala had always seemed to know when that protection was needed. She had until she hadn't. She had until her powers had failed her and she, Marcus, and Gustus had been brutally murdered in their own home. Clarke shook a bit as she once again remembered Gustus. Not again. Never again.

And so she followed the man, quietly biding her time. This was not the right time. If she wanted to protect Madi, she had to be smart about this. These trees that surrounded them were too spaced out. It was too light out. And, most of all, though Madi was quiet now, she was not likely to stay that way. No, this was not the time yet. Not at all.

"Scream again, or let that baby do it for you, and we're all dead," the man said, stopping at a set of stairs going downward. Then he started downward, and she had no choice but to follow him. As soon as they were down inside the structure, the man tied her to a column. It didn't really surprise her. He'd have to be an idiot to take the chance that she wouldn't run again. After that, the man began to start a fire. Clarke couldn't help but notice that he seemed to be favoring one side, and her observation was confirmed when he stripped down and she saw the blood. His wound was pretty bad, and by his moaning she'd have to guess pretty painful, "Another inch and I'd be dead. Maybe you're not the commander of death after all. Or maybe motherhood has caused you to lose your edge," he took a moment, seeming to be waiting for a response. Too bad for him she didn't have the energy, "Now she's quiet."

"Why are you hiding from your own people?" the one question hadn't really been pressing until now, stuck alone with this stranger who could quite literally kill her with no problem.

"Why'd you run away from yours?" he countered her. He limped over a bit, leaning down to grab the knife he'd left partly in the fire. He pressed it over the wound, barely even making a noise as his flesh burned and fused together, "The great Wanheda," he began to walk towards her, the red hot knife drawing her attention the entire time, "Mountain slayer."

"I'm no one," she told him, suddenly glancing down at Madi. Not no one, she supposed, "I'm just a mother on her own."

"Lot of people out there right now, looking for no one."

"You're obviously not loyal to the Ice Nation. So why are you taking us there?" he turned and began to walk away, and a feeling of desperation washed over her. Maybe he could be reasoned with, "Look whatever the Ice Queen is giving you, my people will offer you more."

"Not them. Not for someone who abandoned them." It occured to Clarke at this moment that he might be right. She'd been so focused on getting home that she'd almost forgotten that most likely they hated her by now. It was like a punch to the gut.

"You don't know anything about me." Clarke spat at him.

"I know you took the coward's way out."

"Like you're so different. You're in disguise, same as me. You're on the run, same as me. In the wilderness, same as me. As far as I can tell, our only difference is that I have a child to take care of, and you're only taking care of yourself."

"I was banished. Nothing like you. You had a choice. So no, I can't take you home to your people. Cause you're the way back home to mine."

She was going to argue some more, but he reached down and put the gag back on her.


	14. Chapter 13

Ai Hod Yu In

Chapter 13

Clarke was trying her best to get some rest. The mysterious man had untied her hands for a while so she could care for Madi, but now she was back to being tied up. She just wanted to go home. She just wanted to break down and wallow in all she had lost. She just wanted to be free of this man.

Then there he was. He was wearing the clothes that the Ice Nation scouts had been wearing before they were killed, but he looked pretty similair. At first she thought he was just a figment of her imagination, that this was something in her brain trying to remind her that she had more than just one reason to keep fighting. She had to fight to get back to Bellamy too.

When he brushed her hair to the side, though, she realized that he was very real. More than that, though, she realized he was very much in danger. The man who held her would kill him just as he'd killed every other person they had come across. She couldn't let that happen.

"I'm gonna get you out of here," he promised, taking the gag out of her mouth. She noticed the man behind him, and she'd was surprised how much terror it caused her. This terror… It was like how she'd felt that night, realizing that something was wrong at home. Realizing that Marcus, Nala, and Gustus were in danger. It was similair to how she'd felt every moment she thought about how much danger Madi was constantly in.

"Look out," she screamed at him. The sound woke Madi, who was safely hidden from view. She could see the confusion in Bellamy's eyes as he whirled around, his sword already drawn.

Unfortunately, Bellamy was no match for this man. He had his sword pressed against his neck in no time, Bellamy pinned to the ground. Her terror had only grown, because it was at this moment that she finally realized what this meant.

She had known that she had feelings for Bellamy for a while now. She'd even half admitted how far those feelings went. She was in love with Bellamy Blake, and she was only now admitting it with the fact that he was likely about to die. She was pretty screwed up. And she was starting to cry, damn it.

"No, please! Please, don't! I'll do anything! I'll stop fighting. Just, please, don't kill him."

The man looked at her for a moment, seeming to debate whether she was telling the truth. Then he pulled his sword back, "Thank you."

She hadn't even seen him pull out his knife, but suddenly it was plunged into Bellamy's leg. Bellamy screamed in pain, and Clarke herself felt like she was about to cry.

"Don't follow us," he told Bellamy. He kicked Bellamy in the head, causing him to pass out. He sheathed his sword and looked at Clarke.

"Can I leave the baby with him?" she didn't know what possesed her to ask. She certainly didn't think this man would allow it, but she had to try. She'd meant what she said, about no longer fighting. Still, she couldn't allow her child to die with her. Bellamy would take care of her daughter. He'd always been good with kids. Mostly from necessity, but still.

"Now why would I let you do that?" the man asked her. He was looking at her like she was stupid. Like she was some idiot that he couldn't wait to be rid of. He was looking at her like she was nothing but his ticket back home, and she didn't really like that.

"I'd imagine it's a whole lot easier to travel without a baby, wouldn't you? No crying, no having to stop to feed her. It would make the rest of this trip so much smoother," she told him. She'd never hoped so hard for someone to do as she asked.

"Nah. I think she's better as insurance to make sure that you don't try to run," he responded. He took her ropes off the wall, and once again they were off.

At some point during their journey the man had put the back back over her head. She could see vague outlines, but nothing more. She even heard some speaking, though all she understood was Wanheda. The man made her kneel, and she wished once again that her child was not involved in this.

The bag lifted, and she spent a moment scanning her surroundings. She was in some type of throne room. In front of her was Lexa. Lexa, who had betrayed her. Lexa, who had turned her into this monster. Indra was also there.

"Hello, Clarke," Lexa said, beginning to walk towards her. Clarke's anger was growing and growing, "The deal was for you to bring her to me unharmed."

"She didn't come easy," the man told Lexa.

"I'd expect not," she conceded, looking once again at Clarke, "And the child?"

"Hers. I've done my part. Now do yours. Lift my banishment."

"I'm told your mother's army marches on Polis."

"That has nothing to do with me. Honour our deal."

"I'll honor our deal when your queens honors my coalition. Lock Prince Roan of Azgeda away." Clarke wasn't quite sure why she was shocked that this man Roan was a prince.

"Yes, Heda," one of her guards told her. They took the prince away at once.

"What of Wanheda?"

"Leave us." All of a sudden the room was emptying but for Clarke and Lexa, "You heard me."

Lexa said something, and two men helped Clarke up. Lexa took Clarke's gag out, "I'm sorry. But it had to be this way. I had to ensure that Wanheda didn't fall into the hands of the Ice Queen. I did not expect that you had a child with you. War is brewing, Clarke. I need you.

Clarke spat in Lexa's face at that. She needed her? Clarke had needed her, back at the mountain. Lexa had left her then. Clarke began to struggle and scream.

"You bitch. You wanted the Commander of Death, you got her!" Clarke screamed at her. "I'll kill you."

The men dragged her out of the room screaming.


	15. Chapter 14

Ai Hod Yu In

Chapter 14

A/N: Well guys, apparently inspiration and time have both struck at the same time. I can not believe that I am managing 4 chapters in the span of a few days, but here we go. Hope you guys enjoy!

Clarke held Madi, making sure the both of them were able to see the view of Polis well. In the past few days, she'd refused to speak to anyone but her child. She'd eaten, bathed and changed clothes. She'd been fairly free for a prisoner, but she still had no doubt that that was what she was.

The door opened behind Clarke, and she turned around quickly. It came as no surprise to her to once again see Lexa. She'd been trying to get her to talk for days.

"What part of 'I won't see you" was unclear?" Clarke asked her. She crossed the room to the cradle they had given her for Madi, gently laying the child in it. Then she turned back around, staring at the woman who she probably hated most in this world.

"I respected your wishes for a week, Clarke. We've got bigger concerns." Lexa looked calm and poised as she stood there, and Clarke felt her anger come back all over again.

"We don't have any concerns. I am concerned for my daughter, and that is all."

"Yes, we do. And if you'd allowed our healers to look over the child, perhaps you would be less concerned," Clarke felt the same surge of panic she'd felt the last time she'd heard that suggestion. Luckily, Madi had not been injured in the fall while they were with Roan, but she still had to ensure no one here would discover Madi's blood, "I'm hosting a summit with Skaikru at sundown. You both will be returned to your people."

"You went to all that trouble to capture me just to let me go?"

"I went to all that trouble to save you. In the process, I saved your child as well. You should be thanking me." Clarke couldn't help but laugh at that statement.

"You know when I could have used saving?" she asked rhetorically, "When you abandoned me, all of us really, at Mount Weather."

"Clearly, you didn't need my help."

"Clearly." Madi began to fuss. Clarke turned away from Lexa, instead going back to Madi and beginning to rock her. She was much better company anyways, and she always knew when Clarke wanted out of a conversation.

"You're angry, Clarke. But I know you. What you've done haunts you. And it's easier to hate me than to hate yourself." Lexa wasn't exactly completely wrong there, but she wasn't right either. She hated herself, yes, but Madi and Gustus had begun to teach her how to forgive herself. It certainly wasn't the right reason to have children, but it was a reason nonetheless for Clarke.

"Oh, I can do both."

"What would you have done if their leader had offered you the deal? Save your people at the price of mine. Would you really have chosen differently?" It was an interesting question that Lexa was asking, and certainly not one Clarke had considered before.

"I don't betray my friends." She knew that was a lie even as she said it. She'd had friends of sorts in Mount Weather. She'd betrayed countless friends to get here.

"But you did. You had friends in Mount Weather."

"Those deaths are on you too." Yes, she had betrayed those people. Lexa had backed her in a corner though, "The only difference is you have no honor and I had no choice."

"It helps no one to dwell on the past, and that's not why I'm here. You're right, I'm not just letting you go back to your people. I want something more. I want your people to become my people." Clarke looked at her for a moment, trying to decipher her endgame with this. "I'm offering Skaikru the chance to join my coalition, become the 13th clan. No one would dare to move against you because that would be moving against me."

"Just leave me alone." Clarke could even hear how tired she was in her own voice. She knew how she felt about that plan though. Lexa had betrayed them once before, she could not trust she wouldn't do it again. Still, her people could make their choice, "I'm done. Do you understand that? I left. Maybe I was going back, but I was never planning on becoming a leader again. I just want to raise my daughter where she belongs, in Arkadia."

"You can't run away from who you are, Clarke. You were always a natural leader. Join me. Bow before me and your people will be safe."

"Bow before you?" she finally realized what was going on. "You don't give a damn about my people. I know why you're here. I made you look weak at Mount Weather. And now the Ice Nation is exploiting that. Well, if you want the power of Wanheda, kill me. Take it. Otherwise go float yourself, because I will never bow to you."


	16. Chapter 15

Ai Hod Yu In

Chapter 14

Lexa had left a long time ago, and now Clarke once again stood looking out at the city. There was not much else to do in Polis, at least not as a prisoner here. Madi had only just woken from a nap, and it was nice to get a chance for her to see the world. She heard footsteps, and she turned and saw Roan.

"Well, if it isn't the Prince of Azgeda." she called down to him.

"If it isn't Wanheda and her child of death. Don't be fooled. I'm a prisoner here, same as you." he responded, making his way up the rest of the steps to the balcony she stood at with Madi.

"You're the reason I'm a prisoner here."

"Relax, Wanheda. I'm here to help you."

"Sure you are." she half laughed.

"The commander promised to lift my banishment if I delivered you safely. She broke our deal. I'm willing to strike a new one with you, so that we can both go home."

"I'm already going home." He moved a little closer to her, lowering his voice a bit.

"Then you won't have a chance to get what you really want." He moved closer still, and she finally turned to face him.

"What would you know about what I want?" she asked him.

"I saw the look on your face when I took that hood off. You want revenge." He certainly had her attention now. She looked between him and the guards who shadowed her when she left her room a few times, leaning in even closer to Roan.

"You want to kill her?" he nodded, "So kill her. I have a kid to think about. I can't take that kind of risk, not with Madi."

"You can get close, I can't. You'll find a knife under your bed when you return to your room. I've already bought enough of the guards to get you out of here, both of you. If you do this, Azgeda will take control of the coalition. And you'll find a strong and grateful ally in the Ice Queen." his words made her wary. She'd heard stories of the Ice Queen, and she didn't seem like the type of person she should trust.

"And why should I trust her? From what I hear, she's worse than Lexa."

"That's because you've been talking to Lexa. Look. We're all trying to do what's right for our people. This is what's right for yours. This is what's right for your daughter, Madi was it?"

"The Ice Queen would be an ally to my people, to Madi?" she asked him. He nodded, and she did as well.

As soon as Clarke returned to her room, she checked under her bed. Just as Roan had said, there was a knife there. Clarke held onto it for a moment, staring down at it and sitting herself on the bed. Was she really going to continue to set this example for Madi? If she did this, it would not be about survival. If she was being honest with herself, she wasn't even sure it would be about protecting Madi. No, this act would be an act of vengeance. It would be something she could not come back from.

She heard the door opening, and she hid the blade on the side of her clothes. Lexa strolled in, her head raised as usual. She didn't know that Clarke was probably going to kill her today. Clarke turned opposite her, quickly ensuring that Lexa couldn't see her face.

"You wanted to see me. I'm here." Lexa told her. Clarke debated for a moment, trying to figure out if this was really what she should be doing. Her baby was in a cradle in the corner, about to witness her adoptive mother kill yet another person. But Clarke… Lexa had destroyed the old Clarke. Madi had restored a lot of her humanity, but this woman had cost her too much. The call of death was stronger than the cry of her own child. She would always try and make up for what she was about to do, but she knew deep down that there was no making up for what she was going to do, "Clarke."

Clarke turned around, lunging at Lexa with the knife. She collided with Lexa with a soft thud, going straight for the throat. She was ready to do this, ready to embrace the monster all over again.

And yet Madi was calling her back to herself. Her sleeping angel had long since become a moral compass for her. A reminder to herself that she had to do better. She looked into Lexa's eyes, and she wasn't scared. She even seemed to understand, if that was possible.

"I'm sorry," Lexa whispered to her. That was it. Clarke just about started crying just from hearing it. She pushed away from Lexa, bringing herself back, instead, to Madi. She couldn't do it. She dropped the knife to the floor, "I never meant to turn you into this. You're free to go. Your mother is here. I'll have you both escorted to her. You can pack your things quickly."

"Wait." Clarke turned around, and Lexa was already halfway to the door, "I have a better idea.

"And what is that?"

"We each get something we want. I bow to you, and you protect my people. I also need you to do something else for me, though," Clarke finally saw what was right in front of her from the beginning. She'd just been too caught up in her anger and hatred to see it.

"What do you need me to do?" Lexa asked, taking a step closer.

"I know how your people choose their commanders. I also know your people would never accept a Skaikru commander. In return for us joining your coalition, I ask that any nightbloods from Skaikru be ignored completely. I ask that nightbloods from Skaikru be left where they are. The other clans lead, and we simply get their protection. We never take that place in front of them all," Clarke proposed.

"Why is this so important to you that you choose to bring it up now, as a bargaining chip?" Lexa asked her. Clarke flashed back to Mount Weather, back to the betrayal that had led to hundreds of deaths. This one was even higher stakes than that. This one had Madi's life on the line instead.

"I want the death of my people to end" she remembered Finn's 'thanks, princess,' her friends screaming as they died, and burying Wells just after getting him back, "and the only way to do that is by not having conflicts with the other clans."

It was a good lie that she told. Just one of the many that had led her here. For Madi, she'd do anything though. Anything.


	17. Chapter 16

Ai Hod Yu In

Chapter 16

A/N: I'm actually amazed at how much I've managed to write these past few days. And this chapter is super long for me too. Hope you guys enjoy it!

When Clarke entered the room where her mother and Kane were, she had never felt so awkward. Her mother rushed to hug her, and she couldn't even let her enjoy it. She wished she could, but it just reminded her that she didn't deserve the comfort of her mother's arms around her. She'd almost murdered somebody today.

"I have something to tell you and we don't have much time," Clarke told her mother.

"Wait a minute. Just let me look at you. And where is this baby I hear you've been travelling with? I want to look her over, make sure it's healthy before we return it to its family."

"You'll have plenty of time to catch up once we get back home." Kane said, putting his hand on her mother's shoulder.

"The commander's changing the terms of the summit." Marcus looked alarmed at that.

"Is this because of Mount Weather?" he asked.

"This is because of the Ice Nation. They want Lexa dead. They want to take over the coalition," Clarke told them.

"That's Lexa's concern, not ours," her mother responded.

"No, Abby. If Lexa falls, the coalition shatters. And there's no way we avoid that war." Marcus then turned to her, "You said there were new terms."

"We become the thirteenth clan."

Silence fell after that for a moment. Clarke really wished that someone would say something, but instead Marcus turned to start pacing.

"The thirteenth clan, what does that mean?" her mother asked her, "That we follow Lexa?"

"Yes."

"We came here to negotiate a treaty."

"This is our Unity Day, Mom. You can be the thirteenth station or you can be the thirteenth clan. I'd suggest the thirteenth clan for us. We all know what happened to the thirteenth station, after all."

"Marcus?" the woman turned to him.

"Clarke's right," he began, "I've seen the Ice Nation Army. And we don't stand a chance against them. We need to do this."

"So we become the thirteenth clan… Then what? What's gonna stop the Ice Nation?" It was a solid question, and one that she and Lexa had already discussed.

"Wanheda."

With that, Clarke left to get ready. She checked up on Madi, who she'd left in her rooms only a few doors over. She and Lexa had argued a bit over whether she could bring Madi to the summit, but Clarke supposed she was going to have to get used to not having the little girl with her all the time if she was going to do as she'd said. Lexa had sworn that the woman that she would be leaving Madi with would not allow anything to her. Personally, she'd prefer if her child just never left her side, but she needed tonight to go well. It would mean that even if someone were to find out about Madi's blood, she would still be safe.

For tonight, she'd dress up nice and play the part well. She'd ensure that no one suspected what her true agenda was. She'd help Lexa overcome the Ice Nation.

Lexa stood as she opened the door. Ambassadors from all the clans gathered around the room. A grounder girl was singing as entertainment for the night. Everyone in the room was staring at Clarke herself, though. Everyone was waiting for the great Wanheda to bow before the commander. It was a punch to her pride, of course, but the reward greatly outweighed it. She kneeled, bowing her head. She could hear others following suit, following her lead. Their plan might yet work, it appeared.

"Hail warriors of the twelve clans." Lexa called.

"Hail commander of the blood." Everyone else called back to her.

"Rise," she commanded. There was a bit of a shuffle as everyone rose to their feet. Clarke looked at Lexa for a moment before she went to the side to join her mother, "We welcome Skaikru to our halls in the spirit of friendship and harmony. And we welcome Clarke kom Skaikru, legendary Wanheda mountain slayer. The reason for the summit has changed. We are not here to negotiate a treaty with the Skaikru, but rather to initiate them into the coalition. However, Skaikru children may not become Novitiates or Commanders. It has been decided that they should instead live out their lives among their clan."

All the clan members spent some moments murmuring amongst themselves in shock. Not only were they planning on letting in another clan, but they also planned to exclude natblidas based on clan? It was unheard of.

"To symbolize this union, the leader of Skaikru must bear our mark," Lexa told them all. Clarke could hear her mother and Kane talking amongst themselves to her side.

"The honor should be yours," her mother whispered to him. Kane and Lexa each nodded at each other.

"Present your arm." A man took the hot metal out of the fire at last. It burned red hot. Kane rolled up the sleeve of his right forearm and held it out, and the man pressed it to his skin. Kane was clearly fighting back a scream as the iron caused his skin to sizzle.

Too bad things had to go wrong at that moment. The doors to the room burst open, and Clarke was shocked to recognize Bellamy there. He was walking fine, thankfully. Unfortunately, he did have a gun pressed to a guard's neck.

This was the first time Clarke had seen Bellamy since she truly admitted to herself that she was in love with him. Truthfully, she had been daydreaming about full-on kissing him when she saw him again, but she figured that might not go so well with all the ambassadors and Lexa.

"Bellamy?" she called out to him.

"What is the meaning of this?" the bald man Clarke was pretty sure was called Titus asked.

"The summit's a trap. We need to get you out of here." Bellamy told her.

"What the hell is going on?" Clarke asked, whirling towards Lexa. If this was a trap, she had to get to Madi. She'd been so stupid, thinking that she might possibly be able to trust Lexa.

"I don't know," Lexa responded, anger and confusion obvious in her voice.

"It's the Ice Nation," Bellamy accused. Clarke's heart stopped. She mentally calculated in her head. Madi was two floors down. If it was Ice Nation, they'd more likely go for the summit at the top. It didn't really soothe her nerves, but it let her begin to breathe again at least.

"These allegations are an outrage. The ice nation never stormed this summit with weapons, breaking our laws, that was the Skaikru." Clarke wanted to scream in frustration. This certainly had been a trap by Ice Nation, but it was only meant to ensure that Skaikru were not allowed in the coalition. How could Bellamy have been so stupid?

"We're right about this," A man Clarke recognized as Charles Pike, the Earth Skills teacher from the Ark, said, "The two guards you left behind are dead already. We need to go now."

"How did you come by this information?" Lexa inquired. Bellamy and Octavia both looked behind them.

"Where the hell is Echo?" Octavia looked back to her brother.

"What's going on? Where the hell is she?" Bellamy still wasn't grasping what Clarke already had.

"Bell, maybe we were wrong about this." Octavia was getting it, apparently.

"I don't understand." Bellamy looked so lost right now. She felt bad for him.

"Stand down," Kane told him.

"Bellamy? Bellamy come in," Clarke heard Raven's voice, "The Grounders attacked Mount Weather."

"What are you talking about?"

"It's gone, it's gone," she told him, "They're all gone. Sinclair and I are the only ones left. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry."

Clarke could hear Raven sobbing over the radio. All of Skaikru looked shocked. Of course Azgeda had something to say though. She was quickly learning that they always did.

"You should have never moved your people back into Mount Weather. The Ice Nation did what Lexa was too weak to do."

"This is an act of war," Lexa told the delegate, "Sentries, arrest the Ice Nation delegation! Including the prince."

"We need to get home," her mother said, "If they attacked Mount Weather, Arkadia could be next."

"I agree."

"Go. Marshal your forces. We'll avenge the attack together." Clarke wasn't sure she'd ever seen Lexa this angry.

"I'll escort them," Indra declared, turning to Octavia, "I hope you kept up your training. You'll need it."

"Clarke, we need to leave. Now." Bellamy commanded.

"We need an ambassador from the thirteenth clan to stay here in Polis," Lexa told them.

"It's not safe here." Dear, sweet Bellamy was a bit naive.

"It's safer here than Arkadia. Mount Weather was just attacked. You even just said Arkadia might be next. I'm not bringing my daughter into that situation. I'm staying in Polis," Clarke told him. He looked shocked, hell they all did. Apparently none of them had thought Madi was hers.

"Daughter?" her mother was the one who asked.

"Yes. My daughter Madi. We'll talk more the next time we see each other. Bellamy's right though. You need to leave."

"Either way, it will still be safer for both you and the kid at Arkadia," Bellamy did not look like he was willing to give up.

"Clarke will be safe here, under my protection. Madi will as well," Lexa told them. Deep down, Clarke knew she was also trying to keep an eye on Lexa as well. She wanted to make sure Lexa was going to keep her word. Still, it wasn't exactly necessary for her to admit that out loud. She said her goodbyes quickly to her mother and Kane, and then it was Bellamy's turn.

"She left us to die on that Mountain, Clarke. It affected you so much you had to leave home. Now you've got some mysterious kid and you wanna trust Lexa? She will always put her people first. You should come home to yours."

"I'm sorry."

He walked away. Somehow she knew that this might be what he couldn't forgive her for. She was leaving him, again. She was instead choosing to trust Lexa with not only her life but the life of her child. She was choosing Lexa over him.

After the war council left, it was just Clarke and Lexa. They faced each other, Clarke herself not daring to move.

"Thank you for staying," Lexa said to her.

"I stayed because it was the right thing for my daughter and for my people."

"Our people," she corrected

"If you betray me again-"

"I won't." Lexa promised, cutting her off. They stared at each other for a moment, and then Lexa got down on her knees, looking Clarke in the eyes, "I swear fealty to you, Clarke kom Skaikru. I vow to treat your needs as my own and your people as my people. I vow to protect you and your child with everything that I have."

Clarke held out her hand to Lexa, helping the young woman up. Clarke felt a rush of old emotions rush through her at Lexa's words. She'd known she felt something for Lexa last time around. If she chose to follow through with her promise, Clarke would only spiral deeper into them. If she kept her word, though, Clarke wasn't sure she would mind.

"I'd better get back to Madi. I haven't seen her pretty much at all today,"


	18. Chapter 17

Ai Hod Yu In

Chapter 17

AN: Hey guys here's another chapter. This one is all original, and then up next we get to see the ice queen finally. Hope all of you enjoy!

"Hello, little natblida," Clarke whispered quietly to Madi. She felt bad that she'd been leaving the little girl to Anaya, the Trikru caregiver Lexa had told her could be trusted, so often. Ever since joining the coalition two days ago, Clarke and all of the ambassadors had been having countless war counsels. Lexa had also sent some of her men to arrest the Ice Queen. Still, Clarke had set aside this little bit of time to her child.

"Ah!" Madi cooed at her, taking her little hand and sticking it in her mouth. As Clarke had done countless times before, she took a moment to look at Madi and admire her gorgeous little girl. So far, Lexa had not asked who was Madi's father. Clarke would bet that she had assumed Finn was the father, actually. She had, however, asked about why she was so determined to not have any nightbloods from Skaikru become the commander. Clarke had brushed it off at the time, reminding Lexa instead of the war counsel they'd been on their way to at the time. The look on Lexa's face had assured her that the conversation wasn't over though.

"We don't eat ourselves, Madi. Haven't I told you that?" Clarke laughed, grabbing the little girl's hand and gently extracting it from her mouth. She leaned over and bent her face toward the baby, giving a soft kiss on the forehead, "Love you, my sweet. Always have and always will."

It was crazy that this baby had grown so much in the month and a half or so that she'd known her. It was crazier still that she'd really only known Marcus, Nala, Gustus and Madi for only about a month and a half. They'd all simply connected easily as a messed up little family. Family game nights had been a big thing at the house. Clarke had taught them some of the games from the Ark and they had taught her some of the games from the ground. A particular favorite of hers was one called Defeat the Mountain. She actually hated the game itself, but it was Gustus's favorite. She'd loved how happy he was every time they played. She'd actually, genuinely laughed when he'd decided Wanheda, who he'd learned about from some of the older kids at the school, had to be on his team and that meant that she had to be Wanheda. They'd all decided that the little boy had to keep too many secrets already and to wait before telling him she was Wanheda.

Now that same little boy and his parents were dead. Dead like so many other people Clarke had loved. She felt a sob beginning to well up, and she did her best to push it back. Still, she'd been forcing herself to hold back how she was feeling for so long. She just needed to let it out. This was not how she wanted to spend her day, crying about Marcus, Nala, and Gustus, but maybe it was how she needed to.

"You know, your mother was amazing," Clarke couldn't help but whisper to the baby. Her mind was stuck on Nala now. Her mind brought her back to the body in the house, but she forced herself to think about the first time she saw her, "She was standing on her amazing front porch with your father and you. Eventually I found out that they were talking about what to get Gustus for his fifth birthday. It would be today, you know. He was so excited. Constantly talking about the five of us taking the day to go to the pond and swim. He was positive you'd be able to do it too. 'My sister can do anything!' he'd say."

She spent a moment thinking about it, "And your father would just laugh and laugh. He'd say that we would have to wait and see. I miss him. I miss all of them."

There was a knock on the door, and then Lexa entered. "Clarke, the council is getting ready to convene. Would you like to walk with me?"

"Just a moment, Lexa," Clarke murmured, willing herself to not sound as she knew she had to.

"Have you been crying?" Lexa seemed concerned, walking closer to her, "Is it her father, the boy you killed?"

"Excuse me, Lexa, but that is none of your concern. Do you not remember why I killed him in the first place?" All of a sudden, a new type of longing filled Clarke. Finn had been so amazing. She'd avoided thinking about him too much ever since she'd gotten Madi. She felt bad for it too. It was almost like she was abusing his memory by using him like this, letting people assume Madi was his child. It didn't matter that she thought he wouldn't mind anyways. If he were still around, he'd be acting like a proud dad every time Madi was around.

"I am sorry for that, Clarke. You know that. But you made your choice that day just as I made mine," Lexa told her, "I assume you knew by then, of the child you carried. Did he as well?"

"I knew," Clarke lied, feeling it getting easier with each one. "But he didn't."


	19. Chapter 18

Ai Hod Yu In

Chapter 18

A/N: Hey guys! Here's another chapter. Just so you all know, I have been struggling with figuring out how to dictate some of the Trigadesleng from the show. Some of the words aren't very easily recognizable, so if any of you were wondering why Clarke is so iffy about knowing Trigadesleng it is only because of that. When I first started this story, I had planned to incorporate the grounder language a lot more, but due to the limited knowledge of the language I have, I've had to give that up. Still, I do want it to appear as much as possible so I am doing my best with it. A huge thank you to all of you guys who have reviewed so far, as well as following and favoriting both me and this story. It has been a huge motivation to keep going. Now, on for what you all are really here for, the story.

"Ambassadors of the coalition, today we honor our covenant. The clan that stands against one of us stands against us all," Lexa spoke clearly from her position in her throne. All of the ambassadors sat in chairs around the room, and Titus and two guards stood by Lexa. Titus mumbled something in their language that Lexa had told Clarke would mean to bring in Azgeda, and a moment later the Ice nation was escorted in by more guards.

Queen Nia herself looked around the room as she was led in, and once again Clarke found herself surprised by the cold look on her face. It had surprised her when she had spotted them bringing the queen up to the tower, and it surprised her now. This woman had attacked her people, and it made Clarke angry every time she thought about it. It was clear by looking at her that she had no regret for the lives she had ended through her actions, but that did not particularly surprise Clarke. She noticed that the woman's eyes didn't even seem to soften as she looked at her son Roan, forced to kneel to the side for this trial. It was the same calculating look that had glossed over every other person in the room. The queen was forced to kneel before Lexa, and the anger only increased with the sight of her.

"Queen Nia of Azgeda has confessed to the destruction of Mount Weather, resulting in the death of 49 members of Skaikru. Wanheda, what say you?" Titus looked directly at Clarke.

"Skaikru demands justice," Clarke told them all. Queen Nia spoke angrily in Trigadesleng, and Clarke once again realized that she needed to learn more of the language. Still, she could only assume it was something along the lines of 'we don't answer to her.' She didn't even finish before Titus was telling her to be quiet.

"The punishment for your crime is death. Do you have anything to say in your defense?" Titus asked her. All around them, all of the clans were murmuring amongst themselves.

"I need no defense. She does. Today is judgment day. I call for a vote of no confidence," Nia called out.

"Take this Queen to meet her fate."

Clarke was nervous as one of the ambassadors stood up, calling out "No heda no more!" and quickly being joined by more and more of the ambassadors.

"Execute them too!" Titus called.

"Hod op!" Lexa said, glancing around the room at her ambassadors betraying her. Still, she knew, as Clarke too did, that she could not simply kill them all. It simply would make them more determined to oust her, "Let her make her move."

"Commander, what is this?" Clarke asked her, hoping she was wrong.

"This is a coup."

"This is the law. Her law. A unanimous vote of the ambassadors or death are all that can remove a Commander from power." Nia told her.

"It's not unanimous." Clarke told her.

"We don't recognize the legitimacy of Skaikru." Nia hissed at her.

"We do. Yesterday, Skaikru took the brand. They are the 13th clan. This vote of no confidence fails. All these coup plotters will suffer the exact same fate as the Ice Queen." Titus commanded, walking around and gesturing at the other ambassadors.

"She won't take our heads because she knows our armies will retaliate. None of us here wants war." Nia stood up, turning in a circle to look at all of the ambassadors.

"We both know what you want, Nia." Lexa rose gracefully from her throne, making her way slowly closer to Nia, "If you think me unfit to command, issue the challenge and let's get on with it."

"Very well, you are challenged."

"And I accept your challenge."

"So be it. Solo gonplei. Warrior against warrior. To the death." Titus said. Clarke had to look away for a moment, closing her eyes and thinking. A fight to the death? She was not interested in whatever would happen if Lexa lost. It would put Madi herself in danger, and that was the last thing Clarke wanted. "Nia of Azgeda, who do you choose to be your champion?"

"My son, Roan. Prince of Azgeda." Clarke glanced to her right, where Roan too looked surprised.

"Heda, who'll fight for you?" Titus asked. Lexa walked back up to her throne, gracefully lowering herself back onto it.

"Ai laik Heda. No won throw down gon ai." Lexa said. Nia smirked, and Titus and Clarke looked at each other in alarm.


	20. Chapter 19

Ai Hod Yu In

Chapter 19

Clarke walked into Lexa's throne room to see her sat with many children, all of them speaking softly in their language. She made her way over to stand by Titus's side.

"Talk her out of it yet?" she asked softly, turning to look at him.

"No, but maybe you can."

"I don't understand, the queen's not fighting, why should she?"

"The queen's strength is not in doubt. Thanks to you, Heda's is." Titus looked at her, and Clarke felt a pang of guilt. Titus was right. This was on her, "Natblidas!"

Titus walked up to the children, and it finally occurred to her what this was. All of these children had the strange, dark blood of commanders. Lexa was counselling them in case she died tomorrow. All these children, and Madi could have been one of them. Clarke tried to think what Madi would like when she was older, and it scared her more than a bit to come face to face with the life her daughter was supposed to live. She felt a pang of guilt, that she couldn't help these children too. All of them stood up proudly, showing no fear. The youngest of them was maybe eight, but it was likely that he would be dead in a few days time. All but one of them likely would be dead, really. They all got in a line and began to follow Titus out, but Lexa stopped one.

"Aden, stay." The boy was perhaps 12 at the most, with blonde hair and dark eyes. He stood proudly, head held high. He was braver than most, "Clarke, this is Aden. Aden is the most promising of my novitiates. If I should die today, he will likely succeed me. Clarke worries about her people. Tell her what will happen to them when you become Heda, Aden."

"If I become Heda, I pledge my loyalty to the 13th clan." Aden said.

"Thank you. Now, go join the others," Lexa told him. He bowed his head before walking away, "See? Nothing to worry about."

"I'm sorry if I'm worried the fate of my people lies in the hands of a child." Clarke felt a pang of sadness for Aden. He was so young, too young.

"Then you worry for nothing. I've sent Indra to raise an army from the villages near Arkadia. Your people are protected as I vowed they would be."

"This is not just about my people. You don't stand a chance against Roan."

"You've never seen me fight."

"No! But I saw him kill three men in the time it took the first one to hit the ground. I don't want to see you die today, Lexa."

"If you're right, today's the day my spirit will choose its successor and you need to accept that."

"Like hell I do."

With that, Clarke turned on her heel and stormed out.


	21. Chapter 20

Ai Hod Yu In

Chapter 20

Clarke pulled her hood up, hoping to avoid being recognized. She walked slowly through the sprawling city, trying her best to find her target. She was not letting this go without a fight. Though she wasn't quite ready to admit her feelings for Lexa, she had quickly remembered them. It made her nauseous to even think about Lexa dead. Clarke was willing to take extreme measures to ensure the attractive other woman's survival. It was also why she didn't even flinch when the sword stopped so close to her neck.

"Is that death I hear stalking me? Or just the Commander of Death." Clarke had already lowered her hood by now, and she stood calmly in the hopes that perhaps he would move the sword.

"We need to talk."

"We have nothing to talk about." Finally, Roan lowered his sword. "I need to prepare. And do you not have a child to attend to?"

"I know you had nothing to do with Mount Weather. That's why I didn't tell Lexa you gave me the knife. This is what your mother wanted all along."

"What do you want? Spit it out."

"I want you to become the king," she told him, enjoying the look of surprise and confusion on his face, "I know you've thought of it. She was willing to let you die. Willing to let you be banished. I know you just wanna go home."

"When I win today, I will."

"For how long? How long until your mother finds another reason to cast you out? To sacrifice you? Myself personally, I could never imagine abandoning my child. I would die before I even let a single person touch a hair on her precious little head. Everything I do now, I do for her. Your mother works for no one but herself. She only does what benefits her. With her gone, you can be king. No one can cast a king out of his kingdom." Clarke told him.

"I can't do it. My people would never take me back," he told her, looking down, "But… I can help you do it."


	22. Chapter 21

Ai Hod Yu In

Chapter 21

"Clarke kom Skaikru, ai kwin," the guard said as he opened the door for her. Clarke walked in, watching as Nia sat at a long table with lots of food. A young girl, probably a maid, seemed to be serving her. As Clarke approached the table, the girl walked away from it.

"To what do I owe the pleasure?" Nia asked

"What if I changed my vote?" Clarke asked her, staring her straight in the face. The queen looked intrigued, taking a moment to chew and swallow her food before saying anything.

"Now you're thinking like a leader of your people," she told Clarke. Clarke began to go around the table, putting herself closer to the Ice Queen.

"I would need some assurances first," she replied, unable to stop thinking about the pain on Bellamy's face when he found out what had happened at Mount Weather. What this woman had done.

"Skaikru will be safe."

"And me?"

"My quarrel is with Lexa, not you. I can guarantee that you and your child, Madi was it, will be safe." It felt like a slap in the face to hear her daughter's name coming from this evil queen's poison lips. All Clarke wanted in life was to protect Madi, and this monster even knew her name. Thinking about it, she didn't even think her own mother knew that much about her granddaughter. Nia stabbed a knife into the table, "Once she's gone, I won't need the power of Wanheda."

"Okay."

"Okay? You don't want vengeance for the dead at Mount Weather?" Nia seemed surprised, and Clarke was afraid for a moment that she was being too easy-going with this.

"My priority is with the living, not the dead." Clarke said, reaching down to take the knife out of the table. "Osir tai choda op kom jus."

Clarke remembered that Roan had said that it meant 'We bind ourselves in blood.' Hopefully this worked rather well. She took the knife and sliced her had, watching as the red blood welled up and flowed over the side.

"I see you've learned our oath." Nia commented. Clarke said nothing, taking the knife and wiping it off on her sleeve. Keeping her hand cupped, she stabbed the knife back into the table.

"Do you accept?" Nia stood, walking forward and grabbing the knife.

"Osir tai choda op kom jus." Nia repeated, taking the knife and bringing it closer to her hand.

"Hod op!" the maid called, walking over and flipping Clarke onto the table. The girl pinned her down, and Clarke struggled a bit. The girl then bent down and smelt Clarke's sleeve. Clarke knew the ruse was up now. Clearly this girl knew about the poison on her sleeve.

"Face-boner!" the girl hissed. Nia looked disappointed, grabbing a cloth and wiping off the poisoned knife.

"We could have been allies, Clarke." she told her, "But instead, I declare you and your people enemies of Azgeda. Ontari, hold out your hand." the queen began to cut Ontari's hand, "I'm letting you live, for now, to send a message to Lexa. I have my own Natblida."

Nia dripped Ontari's blood all over Clarke's face, and she had to close her eyes. Still, she had no doubt that the blood was as black as her own daughter's blood.

"And she will be the next Commander."

Clarke quickly made her way to Lexa's throne room, taking no time to waste.

"Clarke, what happened? Whose blood is this?" Lexa asked her quickly as soon as she saw the black blood covering her face.

"Queen Nia wanted me to give you a message. She said that she had her own Natblida, and she will be the next commander." Titus came over to Clarke, taking a moment to examine the blood.

"A Commander from the Ice Nation. Now all of Nia's provocations make sense. And we played right into it. She knew you'd accept her challenge." Titus talked directly to Lexa.

"She should have been brought here when she was found. It is the law. And this is a violation of it," Lexa said gently.

"Your legacy is no longer secure. There is still time to choose a champion." Titus cautioned.

"You know I can't do that."

"Heda!"

"Leave us."

"Titus is right," Clarke told her, "You're giving her exactly what she wants."

"Only if I lose. I know you're just trying to help, Clarke, but there's nothing you can do here." Lexa said, pacing.

"I can't just let Roan kill you," she practically shouted it, making her way closer, "I can't lose you, Lexa. You are the only one I trust with this. My daughter… Madi is a natblida. It really freaked me out a bit the first time I saw it, but as soon as I found out what being a natblida means I swore to myself I would never tell another soul. I'm breaking my promise to myself and trusting you with my biggest secret right now. If you die today, you can't guarantee to me that Ontari or one of the other novitiates won't see my daughter as a threat or unnatural and take care of her. Please, Lexa. Don't do this." she ended with a whisper for the ending part, not even trusting the guards themselves with her secret.

"If I'm supposed to die today, Clarke, I'm sorry but you must. Take your daughter and run if you feel that is necessary, though I promise you none of my novitiates would treat your child like that. All of them would respect that I made the decision to exclude Skaikru natblida children. You're driven to fix everything for everyone, but you can't fix this. I have to do this on my own and you have to let me."

"I won't just sit there and watch you die." this time, Clarke did shout it. Just after she finished, Titus entered.

"Heda!" he called, saying something else softly.

"Then, this is goodbye." Lexa said, "For now."

With that, Lexa left. Possibly for the last time. And even though she wanted more than anything else to stop her, she knew she had to let her go.


	23. Chapter 22

Ai Hod Yu In

Chapter 22

Clarke had been about to leave with Madi, she really had. She had had their things ready and everything. Still, she'd been forced to remember Lexa the whole time. While she didn't want to see Lexa die today, she had to admit that if today was stubborn Lexa's last day, she wanted to be there for her. That had opened a whole other can of worms, because it meant that she had to admit why she wanted to be there for her.

Lexa was stubborn, and she'd betrayed Clarke in the past. She put her people first, and she always would. And yet, she'd also become the person Clarke could talk to lately. Despite their past, Clarke trusted Lexa. Trusted her enough to share one of her biggest secrets. When Lexa smiled, Clarke herself had to smile as well. All of this was because, somewhere down the line, Clarke had maybe kind of sort of fallen in love with Lexa. That was a hard blow to swallow. She knew it was possible to love more than one person at once, and she'd barely seen Bellamy lately anyway. Bellamy always ran red hot, ready to fight anyone he needed to keep his sister safe. That was why loving Lexa was such a surprise. Lexa wasn't the complete opposite as Bellamy, but she ran cold as ice. She used her head, and she schemed. She thought every move through. How could she love both people so much, when they were each so different?

Clarke had hurried down with Madi, their bags still packed in their room. If Lexa died today, Clarke would rush up there and grab everything, and then she would leave. Still, she hoped even more that Lexa did win today. She knew what kind of fighter Roan was, but she hoped desperately that Lexa could defeat him.

She pushed her way to the front, where Lexa was stood. She still hadn't picked up her weapons yet, and she looked like she would not allow death to come today for her without a fight. Perhaps she would win this, and she and Clarke would be able to talk about her confession that Lexa had barely acknowledged. Clarke had to admit that she was a bit worried that Madi's blood color would affect other aspects of her growth, and she was sure that talking to Lexa could ease some of her worries.

"I'm glad you came. Both of you," Lexa told her, staring at her for a moment. Then she glanced down at Madi for a moment, and Clarke had to realize that this was the first time she was not shielding Madi from Lexa.

"Me too." Clarke responded. There were a million more things she wanted to say, perhaps I love you, but it wasn't the time. There might never be time. Lexa grabbed her sword from its sheath, and the crowd cheered. Apparently this meant that the battle had begun, because Roan charged Lexa. She dodged, then spun around to slice at his back. Roan stopped for a moment to stare at Clarke, then spun around to begin stalking towards Lexa again. Lexa swung her sword in a downward arc, hitting Roan's sword in the process. She pushed him further and further back, missing each time but not allowing him the time to respond.

Suddenly, the two swords were locked, and Lexa seemed to be pushed down a bit, struggling to hold her position. Clarke could have sworn she saw Roan say something, but the crowd was cheering too loudly for anyone to pick it up but Lexa. Still, Lexa grabbed his sword by the blade, cutting her hand in the process. Clarke was terrified, terrified that this might be Lexa's last, but she managed to push Roan back again. Roan swung again, but Lexa ducked underneath it. There were a few more swings, and then suddenly Lexa was on her hands and knees on the ground. Lexa was not going down so easily though, and she kicked Roan downward as well. Roan dropped his sword, and Lexa grabbed that as well. Roan backed up a bit, glancing around and punching a guard. Then he grabbed the guard's spear, smart enough to realize that he could not survive Lexa without a weapon. The entire crowd booed, and Clarke finally got the indication that most of them were cheering for Lexa. They'd for the most part cheered every second, leaving her quite confused on who they wanted to win.

Roan swung his new weapon around for a bit, perhaps getting used to the balance of it or showing off. Then the two of them were locked in battle again, swinging and missing over and over again. All of a sudden, Roan managed to knock one of her swords out of her arms, and then the other. Lexa was defenseless, and Roan took a moment to kick her down. Roan stalked forward, grabbing his spear and readying it to end this. He went to stab it, and Lexa quickly rolled herself to the side. Lexa kicked her leg around, forcing Roan to the ground as well. Roan kept swinging at her, and suddenly Lexa grabbed Roan's speer. She slashed Roan's leg, and kept hitting him until Roan went down. Lexa went to end it, and Queen Nia finally stood up from her throne.

"Gyon op!" she called, continuing with something more that Clarke couldn't quite understand but understood was probably berating Roan. Lexa looked between the Nia and Roan.

"Jus drein jus daun." Lexa said, turning and throwing the spear at Nia. It hit in the abdomen, and Nia stumbled back into her throne. Everyone was shocked, not expecting that and Clarke had to admit she wasn't either. Still, Nia was dead now, and Clarke wished she could feel bad about the relief she felt at that, "The Queen is dead! Long live the king!"

"Long live the king!" the crowd echoed, "Heda! Heda! Heda! Heda! Heda! Heda!"

Lexa had won, and Clarke smiled at her for a moment.

Clarke retreated to her room with Madi, redistributing their things and then taking a moment to admire the view. She heard a knock on the door, and she walked over to let Lexa in.

"Is this 'I told you so'?" she asked her.

"No. This is 'Thank you.'"

"Come in. Madi's sleeping right now, and she won't be up to be fed for a while still." Clarke told her, opening the door. Clarke noticed the hand that had held the sword, and she grabbed it for a moment, "Sit down. Let me change that for you."

Clarke closed the door and made her way to where Lexa now sat.

"That girl that was with Nia, Ontari. What will happen to her?"

"She won't be back until the Conclave after my death."

"Do you ever talk about anything other than your death?" Clarke teased her, ripping a strip of cloth off to use as a bandage.

"Thank you for backing me. For trusting me. It couldn't have been easy to do after I betrayed you last time, but I stand by what I promised you. Your daughter will not be acknowledged as a natblida. She will not be taken away from you, and she will not be forced to participate in the conclave."

"Thank you."

"I do have a question. Is the father… Is her father the boy Finn? Or did someone else get you pregnant? I was under the impression that your people did not produce the blood until I met your daughter."

"Finn was her father. I don't really know why she was born with that blood, but I did my research and I came up with a plan to protect her."

"When did you find out that you were expecting?"

"In Mount Weather. When I was in medical. From there, I knew I had to escape. So I did, and I got my people out. Then I went on my way to ensure that she was going to be okay when she was born. Now I have a question. Your ambassadors, they betrayed you. How do you move forward?"

"They were doing what they believed was right for their people."

"Reshop, heda," Clarke said, standing up.

"Good night, Ambassador," Lexa said, walking out and closing the door behind her.


	24. Chapter 23

Ai Hod Yu In

Chapter 23

A/N: Hey guys. Here's the next chapter. Hope you guys enjoy, and thank you for all the support everyone has given me with this story! I appreciate you all!

It did not take long at all for Clarke to learn that they would be riding to Arkadia with Nia's body. It had been a long time since she had been home, and she was actually looking forward to being able to show Madi a little bit of it. Nia's death had brought Clarke peace in a way she hadn't expected, and now she was ready to keep moving forward. For her, that meant refocusing on her little girl.

It was early morning when Clarke climbed onto the horse with Madi in a sling. They had a long trek ahead of them, but Clarke could not deny enjoying the company.

"Thinking about home?" Lexa asked her, looking at her with that look she had. Clarke could not deny that she was indeed thinking about it, though.

"Thinking about whether Arkadia is home," she admitted, a bit ashamed of the thought as she said it. Just a little over a month ago, Arkadia was the home she intended to raise her daughter in. She'd fought so hard to return, but it had been so long since she had returned there, "When I left, it had a different name. I was different. Madi has never even been there, this will be her first time."

"You left a hero to your people. And you return one. You do what you must for your family, Clarke. You do what is best for your daughter first, and I admire that about you," Lexa smiled at her, and Clarke looked down a bit, "The Mountain Slayer returns with the body of the Ice Queen. You bring your people justice with this."

"You bring them justice," Clarke corrected her, raising her eyebrows and almost challenging Lexa to try to correct her.

"We bring them peace," Lexa looked happier today than Clarke could ever remember seeing her before, and she had to admit it was nice. She was spending the day with the woman she liked and her daughter. This day could not be going better. Clarke smiled back at her. They continued their journey.

"Heda!" one of the guards yelled. Everyone stopped, taking a moment to stare in horror at the battlefield before them. There were so many bodies. Clarke didn't have to take their pulses to know they were all dead. She didn't have to count them to know that there would be about 300 of them, all the guard sent to protect her people. Flies swarmed around the bodies, and Clarke felt bad for all these people.

They disembarked from their horses to examine the battlefield.

"All bullet wounds," Clarke commented solemnly, trying to keep her mind from going where she knew this had gone. They heard yelling in the distance, and Lexa began to run toward the voice. Needing to know what happened, Clarke did nothing but follow, making sure to hold Madi securely all the while.

"Indra!" Lexa called, seeing the sole survivor of this massacre. She rushed to the woman's side, and Clarke once again followed.

"Heda!" Indra groaned, trying to move herself a bit. Clarke finally reached Indra's side, and lifted part of her clothing to better see the wound. It came as no surprise to her to see a bullet wound on Indra as well

"I need bandages!" Clarke called.

"Stay away!" Indra responded, "You're one of them."

"Indra.." Lexa said, continuing on softly in trigadesleng. Indra stopped struggling, and Lexa continued, "Indra, what happened here?"

"They attacked while we slept. Our watch was to the north, looking for Azgeda. They killed our archers first. Our infantry couldn't get close. Then they executed the wounded." Indra told them.

"The summit was two days ago. How could Kane do this?" Clarke asked angrily. They had worked so hard for peace, and her people had thrown it all away.

"It wasn't Kane. It was Pike." Indra said.

"How did you escape?" Lexa asked

"Bellamy."

"Bellamy was with them?" Clarke asked, getting even angrier now. Bellamy knew better than this. Bellamy had changed from the asshole who didn't care who lived or died. The Bellamy she knew would never do this.

"He wanted to spare the wounded, but they wouldn't listen. He convinced Pike to let me live, so I could deliver a message." Indra told them.

"What message?"

"Skaikru rejects the coalition. This is their land now. We can leave, or we can die." Indra said. Lexa looked as though she was about to cry, perhaps out of anger. She stood up and turned around, facing her guard.

"Send riders. I call upon the armies of the Twelve Clans. In a day's time, we lay waste to Arkadia and everyone within its walls!" Lexa called angrily. Clarke looked down, trying to think what to do. This was supposed to be a day of peace, not this.

"Yes, Heda." one of the soldiers responded. "Mount up!"

Clarke began to stand as well, trying to think, "Wait. Give me time to fix this."

Clarke started to walk away, her mind still racing to think of a solution to this.

"Hod em up!" Lexa said.

"What are you doing?" Clarke asked

"I can't let you leave, Clarke."

"So I'm a prisoner now? Just like that?"

"Yes."

"Lexa, let me go to Arkadia."

"No."

"At least let me talk to Kane. We can bring him here. Indra, at the summit, Kane told me he gave you a radio. A way to signal him. Do it. Please." Clarke begged. She was getting desperate. She knew how this was going to end, and she needed to change it. Indra looked at Lexa, and she nodded.


	25. Chapter 24

Ai Hod Yu In

Chapter 24

A/N: Hey guys! Hope you enjoy the chapter. Next chapter has Bellamy, and we will finally the two of them to talk about all the hurt between them. A lot of her people are angry with Clarke over her running away, and the fact that she had a child in that time is definitely not gonna help. Especially not with Bellamy, who was already a bit unstable about this time because of Gina dying and Pike manipulating him. Anyways, on for the stuff you are actually here for.

Clarke did her best to help Indra while they waited for Kane. It was a bad wound, but she would survive. Indra was strong.

"The bleeding has stopped. We need to get you something for the pain," Clarke told her. She noticed Indra staring at something, and turned around to see Octavia entering the tent, "Octavia? Where's Kane?"

"He sent me," she said, rushing to Indra's side, "Indra. Thank god."

"How did this happen," Lexa demanded, walking closer to them.

"Kane lost the election to Pike. Everything's different," Octavia admitted. Clarke was shocked. She'd only seen Pike the one time since coming to the ground, and looking back on it he had seemed a bit unhinged. How had people believed that he would make a good leader? How had Kane, who had tried his best to do right by the people, lost to him?

"Your people voted for this?" Lexa asked angrily, and Clarke knew that she had to do damage control. Her people could not have voted for this slaughter.

"No. No, I don't believe that," she said, turning to look at Octavia.

"How would you know, Clarke? You haven't been here. You've been off, god knows where, with a kid that you told no one about. A kid that, based on my calculations, has to be Finn's. Don't you think Raven deserved to know that beforehand? Did you even think about how she felt when she found out from Bellamy of all people that her ex-boyfriend has a secret love child with the girl he cheated on her with?" Octavia demanded.

"Listen to me. The Grounder army is gonna be here in less than a day. We don't have time to go over what I was thinking while pregnant," it felt weird for her to say it. It had become natural for her to say Madi was hers. She was, after all. She may not have carried her inside her, but the love she felt for the child was real. Still, it felt odd to lie about being pregnant. She did feel a pang of guilt for the pain that Raven was feeling. Octavia was right, she hadn't thought about her when she took up this mantle. Still, Raven's feelings did not outweigh Madi's life, and she could only hope that the young woman would forgive her for this eventually, "I need to see Bellamy."

"Bellamy was a part of this. He's with Pike. What makes you think he'll help us?" the other girl pointed out. Clarke wanted to say that it was only hope that Bellamy was being manipulated, that this wasn't him, but she had to admit that thinking about it, this was well within Bellamy's character. He thought he was doing right by his people, and that was the Bellamy she remembered. She just had to believe that she could convince him that this wasn't right for their people at all. Preferably before a Grounder army massacred their people.

"He saved Indra's life," she said instead, going with the easier explanation and turning to Lexa, "If what Octavia is saying is true, then Pike trusts him. If I can get to him, he can get to Pike."

"You can't just walk through the gates, Clarke. You've been living with their enemy. If it were me, I'd kill you on the spot. Do you want to leave your child an orphan? Madi needs you, as you well know. Will you really take that chance?" Lexa responded.

"I have to. I know that if anything happens to me, you will ensure Madi's safety. I trust you with the most important thing to me. But I need to ensure that my people are safe as well, and you know that as well as I do." Clarke looked Lexa right in the eyes as she said that, knowing the other woman would understand. She too had a responsibility to her people.

"I can get her in. There would still be risk of course, but she wouldn't have to walk through the front gate." Octavia told them both, nodding.

"Then it's settled. Clarke will go and get Pike, and Madi shall stay with us," Lexa said. Knowing that she was going into a dangerous situation, she kissed her little daughter's head.

"I love you, Madi. I will come back for you. I promise," Clarke whispered in her ear, kissing her head again. "Always."


	26. Chapter 25

Ai Hod Yu In

Chapter 25

Sneaking into Arkadia went off without a hitch. Octavia helped to lead her to a room, and then Clarke was left alone while she went to fetch Bellamy. Based on past experience, she had to guess Bellamy was gonna be mad at her. Everyone was mad at her these days, and she even had to admit she didn't blame them. She had abandoned her people, and though there had been many reasons she hadn't come back, part of it was actually shame. She knew she shouldn't have left. She couldn't truly regret it, because Madi was a gift and she was not sure that Madi would be better off without her. And she couldn't regret not coming back when he had asked her before, because a part of her had been so terrified that Lexa wouldn't keep her word and Madi would be in danger. She could regret hurting him though, and she knew she had.

There were voices outside the door, and Clarke knew that the time had come for her to try her best to convince him. Apparently Octavia had not calmed at all since they got in, for she was seething with rage and anger. The door opened, and there he was.

He stared at her, and she at him. They had once been two sides on the coin of leadership, but now it seemed they were doomed to be on two sides of the same war.

"Now I'm done." Octavia told him, turning around and walking away. He was still stuck staring at her though, only turning once when he heard the door close.

"Go easy on Octavia. I had to beg her to get me into camp," she lied, hoping to spare a bit of the sibling's relationship.

"What are you doing here, Clarke?" he asked her.

"We need to talk." She realized her mistaken words the second she said it, realizing that perhaps he would be offended by her telling him that they need to talk when there were so many times before now that they should have talked but didn't.

"Oh, you've decided that? The mighty Wanheda, who chose the Grounders over her own people? Who turned her back on us when we came to rescue you? Who didn't even tell us that she was pregnant? I don't even know who fathered your child, but now you want to talk. Maybe I don't want to talk now, did you consider that? Maybe I'm done with you and the secrets you always seem to keep." It was hard for her to not feel guilty when Bellamy said all of that, but she knew she had to focus. Their past was not going to save their people.

"I came here to tell you that the Ice Nation has paid a price. Justice has been served for the attack on Mount Weather. I came here to tell you it's over." She was getting closer to him, on the verge of screaming now.

"There it is again. Why do you get to decide it's over?"

"We did our part."

"We?"

"Lexa and I.. The Ice Queen is dead. The problem was solved and then you let Pike ruin everything." He started to move closer to her.

"Why are you here, Clarke?" he asked her.

"Arkadia needs to make things right. Or Lexa and the Twelve Clans will wipe us out." she told him.

"Let her try."

"Please tell me that going to war is not what you want," she was shaking her head as she said it, hoping desperately that he would assure that no, it was not what he wanted. His silence would have been answer enough for her.

"We've been at war since we landed. At least Pike understands that." he said.

"Pike is the problem. This isn't who you are."

"You're wrong. This is who I've always been. And I let you and Octavia and Kane convince me that we could trust these people when they've shown over and over who they are. And I won't let anyone else die for that mistake!" he raised his voice as he got further along.

"Bellamy. I need you. And we don't have much time." she hoped that perhaps this would get through to him.

"You need me?"

"Yes, I do. I need the guy who wouldn't let me pull that lever in Mount Weather by myself."

"You left me. You left everyone."

"Bellamy-"

"Enough, Clarke. You're not in charge here. And that's a good thing. Because people die when you're in charge. And you were willing to let a bomb drop on my sister. Then you made a deal with Lexa who left us in Mount Weather to die and forced us to kill everyone who helped us. People who trusted me! And then I finally find you, and I find out that you've been pregnant for probably the entire time I knew you just about, and you just never cared enough to tell me. To tell anyone, actually. You don't care about anyone but yourself, Clarke. And I'm done with it."

"I'm sorry," she said, sitting down finally, "I hate myself every day for what I've done. I ran because I was scared, Bellamy. I was terrified of what I would become next for my people. And so I ran until I found a place that I could live, and I spent every day wondering whether I should come home. But I was too ashamed. And so I just kept running and running. I'm sorry for leaving, but I knew I could because they had you."

And then, like a dam burst, she was crying again. She tried to stop herself. She wanted to stay strong. She couldn't help it, though. She was all around terrified. She had never wanted to be a leader. She was forced into it. But she was a mother now also. And if this didn't work, she would likely have to choose between her people and her child. And she knew who she would pick too. Bellamy walked over, bending down and touching her arm. Holding her hand even. Giving her hope. She looked over to him, and she knew she would never be able to live with herself if she had to choose between him and Madi. Because she would choose Madi every time, but she would want so badly to be able to pick him. He looked up at her, and she smiled a bit at him.

"I know we can fix this," she said to him.

"I'm sorry, too." She smiled even more, and then he was handcuffing her to the table.

"Hey. No, don't, no. Bellamy. Don't. Please. I need to get back to Madi! Please, Bellamy. I left her with Lexa! Please! Don't." He left without another word, and Clarke broke down sobbing. She'd felt so confident in this plan, and now it was very possible she would never see Madi again. How could she have been so stupid?

It felt like forever that she sat alone before Bellamy came back, grabbing her for transport.

"Pike should be in his quarters," the guard said.

"Bellamy, you don't have to do this," she told him.

"Yes, I do." he responded.

"Just let me go. Let me go back to my daughter."

"Believe it or not, I'm doing this for your own good. I'm sorry that I can't help the child to, but I can help you."

"Believe it or not, I'm doing this for yours," Octavia said, attacking the guard.

"You can't just hit a guard," Bellamy told Octavia.

"I just did. Let her go."

"I can't do that." he told them. They heard voices down the hall.

"They're coming," Clarke said.

"You should go," Bellamy told Octavia. While he was distracted, Clarke rushed over to the guard and grabbed his shock stick, hitting Bellamy right in the gut and then searching for the handcuff keys.

"Clarke, hurry up."

"Let's go."

"Follow me. Come on." They ran through the halls as fast as they could, knowing they needed to be quick.

"Mom?" Clarke asked, rushing over to hug the other woman.

"We know what happened. We know what Pike did. Is there anything we can do to prevent a retaliation?" her mother asked.

"Abby, hurry." Kane told them.

"We came here to give them Pike." Octavia told them

"He's the duly elected Chancellor. Our people knew what they were voting for. Besides, he has the guards and all the guns. Can't get close to him."

"And that's not the way we do things." her mother chimed in.

"Then maybe it's time we changed the way we do things," Octavia said. They all heard an announcement about a security breach, and Clarke knew they had to go.

"You two need to go. Now." Kane said.

"What about Lincoln?" Octavia asked.

"You want to help him? Do it from the outside. With this." Kane told her, "The range isn't great. Stay close and wait for me to contact you. Go."

Octavia went in the tunnel first, and then it was Clarke's turn.

"Come with me. Get to know your granddaughter. She's amazing, Mom. You'll love her if you give her a chance. She charms everyone she meets." she begged her mom.

"I wish I could." the woman said, caressing her face. "May we meet again."


	27. Chapter 26

Ai Hod Yu In

Chapter 26

Clarke wished she had her mom as she returned to the camp where Lexa and Madi were. Here she was, doing her best to end a war before it began. No, she supposed, that wasn't true. She was trying to end a war that had had brief ceasefires, but had begun when they first landed on the ground a little over one year ago. She'd often wondered how differently things would be if they hadn't had to come to the ground at all, if they'd instead been able to patch things up up there. Her father likely would still be alive, but Madi would have likely become a novitiate. She was not stupid enough to think that it was only her presence that had drawn attention to the little ones family.

As she came closer to the tent, she nodded at the guard. The man in front of her entered first, mumbling something to Lexa before he moved aside to allow her to enter. She went through, scanning the room quickly for her child. The baby lay on a blanket on the ground, and Clarke quickly pulled her up into her arms, kissing her forehead.

"I've missed you, baby," she whispered in her daughter's hair, a smile curling her lips before she remembered what her goal was. She gently replaced the child and turned instead to Lexa. She thought at first that Lexa would be the first one to speak, but to her surprise it was instead Indra.

"Where's Octavia?" the injured Trikru warrior asked from her place sitting against a wall. Clarke looked at the woman now, noticing that she had already regained some of her strength.

"She's watching over camp," Clarke replied, knowing that she sounded short as she said it. She wished she could be done with her responsibility to her people now more than ever, but it seemed the responsibility was indeed endless.

"So, tell us, Clarke. How does this end? Have you come up with a way to save your people, yet again?" Lexa paced a bit as she asked those questions.

"No." Clarke admitted, looking down, "Only you can do that. What happened here was an act of war. Your army was here to help us and my people slaughtered them. You have every right to respond. Every right to wipe us out. Or, you can change the way you do things."

"Why should she change?" Indra questioned her. Clarke knew she shouldn't expect Lexa to change, that Lexa had every right to retaliate. She just had to hope that the bond and trust they had between them would allow Lexa to give a new way a chance, "Blood must have blood."

"Really? Because from where I stand, the only way that ends is with everyone dead. So, what kind of leader do you want to be? The kind who kills every chance she gets because that's you way, or the kind who shows the world a better way?" Clarke tried.

"You consider letting a massacre go unavenged a better way?" Lexa asked her in response.

"If it ends this cycle of violence? Yes. If it brings about peace? Yes. Someone has to take the first step. Let it be you." Lexa turned to the side, beginning to walk away slowly, "You say you want peace. That everything you've done was to achieve that. Yet, here we stand, on the brink of another war. A war you could stop."

"Commander, you can't seriously be considering this," Indra demanded.

"I'm not considering it," Lexa said, and Clarke felt her face drop a bit. She mentally calculated how long it would take to grab Madi and run, and she didn't like her odds of escape. Luckily, Lexa was not yet finished, "I'm doing it."

"Heda, please-"

"Indra. Our people act as if war is easier than peace. If that's so, should we not try and achieve the more difficult goal?" Lexa commented.

"Polis will not support you. Titus-"

"Titus is my subject. They're all my subjects." Lexa yelled, lowering her voice after a moment and ignoring the startled Madi, who was now beginning to cry. Clarke rushed back to the baby and picked her up, rocking and humming to her, "Do you say they will defy me? Will you defy me?"

"No, Heda. I will not."

"Then let it be known… Blood must not have blood."

Clarke nodded at her, smiling in support at the woman who had chosen to be better than their ancestors. She could only hope that this would work, that they could truly bring about peace.


	28. Chapter 27

Ai Hod Yu In

Chapter 27

The return to Polis seemed a lot quicker than the ride to Arkadia. Madi slept most of the way there, and Clarke and Lexa spoke quite a bit on the ride. There were still a million things that both of them had to worry about as leaders of their people, but they decided to instead worry about other things for the ride at least.

"When I was a little girl, my dad and I would get together with Jaha and his son Wells and we would watch old soccer games. We know what the results were, but we'd sit there pretending we didn't and cheer our teams on. It was the most fun we had together," Clarke admitted to Lexa eventually, wanting to focus on something that didn't involve each of their individual people.

"What is soccer?" Lexa asked, cocking her head to the side as she looked at Clarke. Clarke giggled a bit, smiling and trying her best not to freak out. Her people were just barely allowed to live, and here she was giggling like a young schoolgirl with a crush. It was disgraceful, and yet it felt nice to not have to think about anyone but her and Lexa and perhaps even Madi right now.

"You don't know what soccer is? It was a sport from before the bombs went off. I don't know why I always assumed you would remember that as well," Clarke said, "There were two teams who had to try to kick a ball into a net and prevent the other team from doing that as well. I tried to learn the rules once, but there was only so much I could practice in space and the rules didn't really make sense without understanding how the game was played."

"Were the children playing any good?" Lexa asked her curiously, and Clarke's grin only grew.

"I'm sure children played it as well, but the games we used to watch were with adults only," Clarke responded.

"Why would adults waste their time with such foolish games? Should they not be working?" Lexa inquired.

"The best part is that I'm pretty sure that that was their job. People were played to play games like that all the time. In space, we were hardly allowed to have plants but in the old days people were paid to waste time. It's amazing," Clarke was sure she had the same dazed expression she had often when speaking of sports. She knew she would not have been any good at them, but the fact remained that she wished she could have tried them before all those who knew how to play them, really play them, were wiped out.

"What a waste. Should they not have been doing more important things?" Lexa was judging those who were long dead. It was kind of hilarious, actually. She was so sure that these people deserved judgement. Perhaps they did. They were, after all, the ones who ended the world.

"Maybe they should have. I don't know. They are long dead, though. Can we really still judge them?" she asked.

"The dead are gone, and the living are hungry." Lexa said.

"Exactly," Clarke remarked.

"What did you do when you found out you were pregnant?" Lexa suddenly asked, taking the conversation in a completely unexpected route. Clarke wished she didn't have to keep lying about Madi, but the questions would never end. She would just have to continue her story for as long as she could and hope that if anyone found out that one day they would forgive her.

"I freaked out, of course," she said, spinning her tale, "I was in Mount Weather when I found out, and I was determined to escape then. The whole thing seemed too good to be true, and if I was going to have a child then they needed to be safe. As safe as possible, at least. I did some pretty risky things, but I knew that I couldn't take any chances. I didn't even know if Finn or Bellamy were alive at that point, really. I just knew that I had to do my best. That I had to get out."

"You never said anything to me, back then. Why?"

"I didn't say anything to anyone. I suppose I was too scared to. I would have eventually, but then… Well you know what happened. At that point, I went to see if I could find somewhere that might be able to tell me a bit more about child-birth on Earth. For all I knew at the time, everything could have gone wrong. I was actually going home when Roan caught me," she admitted. The lies kept piling up, but she couldn't just refuse to answer. Not when Lexa had just spared her people, had just decided to live by a new code because she asked it of her.

"I'm sorry," Lexa told her, reaching her hand out to Clarke. Clarke took it for a moment, squeezing it before she finally released it.

"It's not your fault. You didn't know everything and neither did I. We both have changed, I hope for the better."

"I think it has to be for the better. We continue moving forward, even when nothing else feels right," Lexa responded. The commander took a moment to study her before she continued. "And this… It feels right."

"Yeah," Clarke admitted. "It does."


	29. Chapter 28

Ai Hod Yu In

Chapter 28

Lexa lay on the couch in the rooms they'd been in, Madi curled up in the other woman's arms. Clarke didn't know when she and Lexa had become so close that she would allow Lexa to nap with her infant daughter, but she had to admit it felt natural. Meanwhile, Clarke herself was sketching. At first she'd simply been sketching randomly, drawing the river she and Gustus had often gone to. Next thing she knew, her drawing had shifted to be the lines of Lexa and Madi's sleeping faces. Clarke had decided that apparently that was what she was meant to be drawing, and so she had simply continued, putting much more care in her images this time.

She could hear a quiet moan, and at first she thought that Madi was getting close to waking up. She started to stand, not wanting the little girl to disturb Lexa from her sleep. Just moments after she stood, Lexa jerked awake with a gasp.

"Hey. Hey. It's okay. You're okay. What were you dreaming about?" Clarke soothed, laying a hand on Lexa's back while checking over at Madi for a moment to ensure the child still slept peacefully.

"The commanders before me. They speak to me in my sleep. I saw their deaths at war, at the hands of an assassin." Lexa whispered, a haunted look in her eyes.

"It was just a nightmare."

"No. No, it's a warning. They think I'm betraying their legacy. Jus drein jus daun has always, always been the way of our people." Lexa told her.

"Listen to me. A ceasefire is not a betrayal. What you did on that battlefield stopped a war. Your legacy will be a lasting peace." Clarke responded, taking Lexa's hand into her own. Lexa allowed the contact for a moment before grabbing her hand away, standing up and closing the book that was left in her lap. She walked a few steps before seeing the sketchbook Clarke had been using, "Oh, um… That's, uh… That's not finished yet. You two just looked so peaceful, so right together. I didn't even mean to start drawing, but when I did I just couldn't stop. It seemed right."

A knock came at the door, and Lexa turned a bit, "Enter."

Titus swept into the room. Clarke moved quickly to gather her things, putting them in the bag she now carried with her for convenience and moving to her child.

"Pardon me, Heda. I didn't realize you were busy." he said, seeming to sneer at Clarke a bit as he said that. Behind him, two of the guards dragged in a large trunk.

"Are you going to tell me what's in the box or not?" Lexa questioned.

"Forgive me. This is a gift from King Roan of Azgeda for Wanheda. The messenger said this is both proof of Azgeda's loyalty to the coalition and an answer to a yet unanswered question. May I?" Titus asked, moving to the side a bit. Clarke moved forward hesitantly a bit, "Open it."

The two guard opened the box, and Clarke looked in it. It was a man, a bit bloody. It took her a minute to realize who he was.

"Emerson?" she asked. He growled, beginning to yank at his chains and trying his best to lunge toward her. He ended up on top of her, still growling and trying his best to attack her.

"Stop him!" Lexa yelled, "Get him out of here! Put him in a cage now."

"I'm fine," Clarke told her, standing up and watching as the growling man was dragged out of the room. She shook herself out of it, finally noticing Madi's crying. She turned around, seeing that Lexa had picked up the baby in the hopes of soothing her. Clarke had to smile a bit at the site before she reached out and took the baby, who calmed at the familiar scent of her adoptive mother.

Clarke took some time to calm Madi as Lexa deliberated with others on what to do with Emerson.

"Here she is," Titus said, turning to her. Lexa looked over as well.

"How is Madi?" she asked, and Clarke felt a warmth in her chest as a woman she was beginning to think she might love asked how her daughter was with such concern. Lexa really was amazing.

"She's doing well now. She had quite a fright, but she's a strong girl. I just got her down for a nap and left her with Alaia. You wanted to see me, Commander?" she asked.

"Yes. We need to discuss the fate of the last Mountain Man." Lexa told her.

"I believe he deserves death," Titus chimed in.

"She can speak for herself, Titus." Lexa cautioned.

"I want to say Titus is right, that Emerson deserves to die," Clarke started slowly.

"You see? It is human nature to need vengeance. Only once satiated, can there be peace. That is our way." Titus said.

"I was not done. I want to say that, but I can't. For one, I can not ask you to live by one set of rules while I choose a different set entirely. For another, I do understand why he would hate my people. If anyone did anything to Madi, I would destroy them and all they stood for. Emerson is one person. He is no longer a threat. As much as I want him dead, I would not advise that as the best course of action."

"That was our way. If even Clarke, the commander of death, can live by this new code, then so too can you, Titus. And I am not looking for advice, I am looking for a decision," Lexa told her.

"He was gifted to you. The crime he stands charged with is against your people. It is up to you to decide," he said.

"Then I believe it is only right that he be banished from these lands forever," Clarke said. She felt a bit guilty. Emerson was the only mountain man left. He blew up mount weather, killing some of her people. He really did deserve to die. Still, Clarke knew that he had a son, a toddler son. If it had been her and Madi instead of Emerson and his boy, would she not have done the same thing? The truth was, death would have been a mercy for her at that point as well.


	30. Chapter 29

Ai Hod Yu In

Chapter 29

A/N: Hey guys! I had planned to get this out to you all a while ago, but unfortunately life got in the way a bit. It is a little longer though. Hopefully I will get the next chapter out in the next few days as well. Enjoy my lovely peoples and thank you to all of you for the love and support for this story!

"We gather here on this ascension day to honor the commanders that came before me, those who live on within me as I will live on within one of you," Lexa said to her novitiates. Clarke couldn't help but notice that she was looking at Aiden more than the others, which she supposed made sense when one considered that he was her most likely successor. Clarke herself held Madi in her arms, rocking the little one and smiling at her all the while. Perhaps she should have simply left the child in her room, but today of all days Clarke wanted to keep the child close to her. She heard shouting coming from outside the room.

A group of people entered the room, saying something angrily in the language that Clarke didn't quite speak fluently.

"Titus, what is this?" Lexa asked her flamekeeper, glancing to the side a bit to see him from her place on the throne.

"Something you need to hear, heda," Titus responded, leaning in close to Lexa. The door slammed shut to the room, and the last of the people came in, dragging Octavia with them. Lincoln himself followed behind them, also a prisoner but seemingly a calmer one than his girlfriend.

"Octavia," Clarke whispered to herself, clutching Madi closer if possible and taking a step forward. Octavia looked over at Clarke, and there was so much anger in her eyes that Clarke almost did a double take. One of the men, presumably the leader, once again murmured in their language. Lexa responded in turn, asking him why he was holding Octavia and Lincoln prisoner. Clarke almost did a double take as she heard the phrase prisoner of war. What had her people done this time? She definitely recognized crimes as well, and figured now might be the time to step in.

"What crimes? What happened?" she asked, walking a bit closer but still keeping a distance. She'd long since learned that a baby did not mean people were going to be gentle with you, and she didn't particularly want her daughter thrown around today.

"Skaikru attacked their village. Because their warriors were lost when your people massacred the army we had sent to protect you, their village was defenseless." Titus told her. Clarke took a moment to close her eyes and take a deep breath, wondering if this would be the day that Skaikru ended. Her people probably didn't even deserve Lexa's mercy anymore.

"Beja, heda. Ai beja jou daun. Kaujo sir cleen." the man told Lexa.

There were various shouts that echoed through the room. Looking around, Clarke wondered if all these people would demand her death as well. Clarke knew the ruling Lexa would have to make. How could she not? Lexa had been too lenient on her people already. This would likely be the final step in her people's destruction.

"Jus drein jus daun!"

"Wamplei kom Skaikru!"

There were shouts all over the chamber, and Titus called out something to them all in response. Clarke had to look at Lexa now, had to see the cold look in her eyes. She would have to avenge her people. Clarke made her way through the crowd, seeing Lexa rise from her thrown as well and begin to make her way out.

"You all will stay here while I consult my fleimkeepa and wanheda herself." Lexa called out to them. Once Clarke was out of the room, she stood and waited for Lexa and Titus to get through, making sure she herself was taking up the rear. She was grateful Lexa was allowing her to be a part of this conversation.

"How dare you bring this to me on Ascension day!" Lexa yelled, entering another room.

"I did not bring this here, Heda. You did. Against my advice, you made Skaikru the thirteenth clan. They rejected this, murdering hundreds of your people, and yet on the very field where they died, you decided to forgive the killers, but this provocation is proof. Blood must not have blood has failed. All that can stop this now is war." Titus ranted. Clarke kept her eyes trained on Lexa, her right hand rubbing soothing strokes up and down Madi's back in the sling.

"Clarke?" Lexa asked, walking closer.

"Clarke's opinion in this matter is not exactly unbiased." Titus pointed out. Clarke knew he was right.

"Titus is right. I would do anything to save my people. You know that, but I know them. Not everyone agrees with Chancellor Pike. Kane doesn't. Octavia doesn't. There has to be more people, too. Somebody had to have helped Lincoln. Last I knew, he was locked up in a cell in Arkadia. Kane would never have been able to get close enough to break him out. He said that he was under heavy surveillance." Clarke argued.

"Your people did not vote for Kane." Titus shouted. Clarke whirled around, turning from Lexa to Titus.

"Some of them did." she responded, glaring at him a bit. "We need to give them time to see that they made the wrong choice and fix it."

"And you believe your people will take them out themselves." Lexa realized. Clarke turned back to Lexa, hoping that Lexa could trust her one more time.

"If they don't, if instead they use this time to plan their next attack, we must act now, Heda." Clarke was surprised to realize that Titus was practically begging. Clarke could see the conflict this decision was bringing Lexa. All she wanted was to take this decision off her shoulders. Unfortunately, this decision was only Lexa's to make. "Make an example of the thirteenth clan. Show the other twelve what happens when they defy you. You got them back when you killed the ice queen, but the coalition is still fragile. If you don't act now-"

Lexa held up a hand in a motion to stop. She walked out of the room and back into the front of the rest. Clarke followed Lexa at a sedate pace. Lexa had chosen to reveal what she was doing in front of everyone. Clarke was simply trying to make peace no matter what the decision was.

"Today I call upon the armies of the 12 clans," Lexa said. Clarke looked at her sadly, resigned to the end of Skaikru. She was tired of fighting. If this was how her people were to end, perhaps it was better. At least no one else would be harmed by those in her clan that craved power above all else, "to march on Arkadia. Not to attack, but to contain. We will blockade the thirteenth clan. We will keep them from the lands they wish to possess. We will give them time to take out their leaders from within. Once they rise up against them, then we will welcome them back as one of us."

Clarke wasn't sure she had ever loved Lexa more than she did in this moment. She had listened. She had come up with a way to allow both their people to continue. If they weren't in a room filled with ambassadors from seperate clans, Clarke wasn't sure she would have been able to contain herself from kissing Lexa.

"You heard the commander. Send riders. Tell your armies to set up a buffer zone around Arkadia. Five miles should be enough to keep them away from our villages. What are their orders, heda?" Titus announced.

"Any Skaikru caught across the line will be subject to a kill order." Lexa announced.

"Heda, I do not understand. How is this vengeance?" the leader of the group of villagers asked, stepping forward and seeming to plead with Lexa.

"It is not vengeance, my brother. It is justice." Lexa told him gently.

"Skaikru killed my sons and my brother and my wife. If the spirit of the commander will not protect us, then what will?" the man screamed.

"You mind yourself, Semet." Titus said.

"Wamplei kom Heda!" the man screamed, grabbing a knife and charging at Lexa. Titus stepped in quickly, stopping the man and stabbing him with his own weapon.

"Blood must have blood." Titus said to Lexa.


	31. Chapter 30

Ai Hod Yu In

Chapter 30

After Octavia and Lincoln were released, Clarke motioned for them to follow her. She had returned to her rooms very quickly earlier to put Madi down for a nap, entrusting the child to the carer she always had. Now, Clarke returned to her rooms again. Once the carer left, Clarke would talk with her friends.

"What happened? I didn't expect Lexa to put a kill order out on Skaikru not in camp." Octavia said. Lincoln looked as though he was about to say something, but Clarke beat him to it.

"We can talk once we get to my rooms. I need to get Madi and start making sure all our things are ready to go." Clarke said.

"Madi, huh? Beautiful name." Lincoln complimented. Clarke smiled at him. She was quite fond of Lincoln, and she couldn't imagine what life would have been like without him. He was the first one of her friends to simply accept her child in without question. Even Lexa had shot weird looks at her for the first few days. Clarke hadn't really been talking to Lexa back then anyways though, so it hadn't really mattered.

"Yes, Madi. A little girl who will be up soon and expecting her mother, so I would like to hurry. There is still plenty to do."

"You're coming back then?" O asked. Clarke nodded, continuing on her way with navigating the tower.

"You know your way around quite well now," Lincoln complimented her, perhaps sensing that Clarke didn't trust that no external ears would not be listening until they returned to her room. Polis had become a home to her, but that did not mean that she had forgotten how many enemies were here. She had relaxed a bit with time, but she still had very little trust for anyone.

"Thank you. Come on, this is my room." Clarke said, motioning them through the door. The carer nodded at her as she entered before she left.

"No wonder you wanted to stay." Octavia said, looking around the room. Clarke ignored her, instead going to Madi and checking on her. Just as she had hoped, the child had not yet woken. She wouldn't sleep for much longer, but it would give Clarke a bit of time to get ready.

"You know why I'm here, Octavia." Clarke said, turning around and looking at the other girl once again. Clarke sat down on the bed and Octavia leaned against one of the pieces of furniture in the room. Lincoln made his way to stand next to Octavia, taking her hand in his. Octavia took her other hand and began to rub at her face.

"Are you okay?" Clarke asked her.

"Yeah, fine. I saw Indra in the crowd. Why wasn't she with Lexa?" the girl asked in response.

"Indra's not doing so well. But we can't deal with that right now."

"Okay, so what do we do?" Octavia asked.

"I have to talk to Lexa," Clarke said.

"You just did that and came out with a kill order on all of us. That's the second time that she left us all to die." Octavia said angrily. Clarke was about to defend Lexa, but Lincoln did it first.

"She didn't leave us to die. She did her best to show mercy. Not so long ago, the commander wouldn't have done even that. She's changed quite a bit," Lincoln commented.

"The 12 clans want a war. We all know that. Lexa's just trying not to wipe us out. Besides, I meant that I have to say goodbye to her before we leave," Clarke said.

"Why am I not surprised that you're still defending her?"

"Lexa has done so much for me, Octavia. So much for us all. Do I want a kill order? No, of course I don't. Still, she would have been well within her rights to end us all. She didn't. Now I need to go say goodbye. Will you two please stay here? Watch Madi for me please?"

"Of course, Clarke," Lincoln said. "Be quick, though. It will not be long before the kill order takes effect, and I'd rather you both not get caught outside when it does take affect."


	32. Chapter 31

Ai Hod Yu In

Chapter 31

A/N: Hey guys! As many of you have noticed, we have finally gotten our biggest change from canon. Lincoln has been saved! You'll find out more about the how in this chapter. I knew from early on that there were some deaths I wanted to correct, and Lincoln was the biggest one. I love Lincoln, and I think his relationship with Octavia is amazingly special. On top of that, what happened to him changed Octavia so much from who she was. Thank you again to all of you. I've never been able to invest myself this much in one of my fanfics before, and a big part of the reason why is all the love all of you have given this story. Anyway, on with the chapter. Enjoy.

Clarke opened the doors to Lexa's rooms, pushing it and staring at the meditating commander for a moment. Clarke entered the room, looking around as she did so.

"Someone tried to kill you today," Clarke commented to the woman, worried. True, Clarke had come to say goodbye, but she also wanted to check on the other woman. Clarke was not ashamed to admit how much the other woman meant to her, "How are you this calm?"

"You're angry about the kill order."

"No. My people attacked an innocent village. They've been pushing and pushing. The kill order was necessary. I'm leaving once I'm done saying goodbye," Clarke told her. Lexa stood up from her position on the floor slowly.

"We may be drawing a line, but who's to say you can't choose to stay on this side of it?" Lexa asked her pleadingly. Clarke knew she couldn't take the other woman up on her offer, but she desperately wished she could. As much as Clarke cared for Lexa, she had a duty to her people and to Madi first. She'd been deluding herself in the recent past, wanting to pretend she was simply a normal girl. She'd stopped being that a long time ago, and it was finally time to admit that.

"I'm sorry, Lexa. I have feelings for you, strong feelings. If I was a normal girl and you had asked me to stay, I would have agreed in a heartbeat. I need to help my people, though. As much as I want to pretend otherwise, I'm always going to be bound to protect my people. I'm always going to be bound to protect Madi. So I can't stay. I have to help them. No matter what mistakes they've made, I have to help them," Clarke said. Lexa smiled back at her.

"I know," she said sadly. Clarke could barely look at her, recognizing the pain in the other girl's eyes as the same in hers.

"Maybe someday, I will no longer need to save my people," Clarke said. Lexa chuckled softly, a smile unfolding on her beautiful, sad face. She fought with herself for a moment, wanting nothing more than for this not to be the time for this. But this may be the only time, as Clarke had long since learned from Finn. Live each day as if it may be your last, for one day it will be. If today was her last day, Lexa deserved the truth, "I love you."

"I love you too," the other woman said. Clarke didn't know which one of them moved, it may have been both of them. All of a sudden, though, their lips met desperately. Clarke gasped a bit as she felt a hand intwine in her hair, and she wrapped her arms around Lexa in return. They both jumped when Lexa's doors opened, taking a moment to disentangle themselves.

"The kill order goes into effect at dawn. I've made arrangements for you to take one of our fastest horses, Wanheda. Now if you will excuse me, I need to speak to the commander," Titus said. Clarke nodded.

"Goodbye, Lexa. Thank you, Titus," she said, quickly fleeing the room. As soon as she left, she leaned against a wall, her hand touching her lips a bit. Clarke had kissed Lexa before, but this felt different. There had been so much passion there, so much love. It broke Clarke's heart a little bit to have to leave right after sharing a kiss like that, but she supposed that she didn't have much of a choice. There was a kill order that she had to think about.

With a horse, Clarke could take a bit more time before leaving. She'd have to tell Octavia and Lincoln to leave ahead of her, that she'd catch up with Madi. She didn't know why she was doing this to herself, but she had a feeling there was still something here she needed to take care of.

When Clarke returned to her room, she immediately noticed Octavia had run off already. It didn't surprise her, though she was quite grateful that Lincoln had stayed with Madi instead of venturing off with Octavia. Clarke trusted Lincoln, perhaps more than she did Octavia herself. She'd come to think of the older man as one of her own, and that meant she was going to protect him above all else.

"How did you get out of holding?" she asked him quietly, grabbing her daughter and settling herself on her bed facing him. He gave her a small smile.

"Bellamy," he told her simply. The answer made her smile as well. She'd been so scared that perhaps Bellamy was gone now, that all that was left was the angry shell of the man she loved, but the fact that he helped Lincoln proved that he was still there. It would take time for all of them to heal after this, but Clarke knew now that Bellamy was still there. He had to be.

"Was he back to normal?" she asked hopefully. Lincoln looked down, shaking his head, and Clarke's heart plummeted, "Was he okay?"

"He was beginning to question what they were doing, last I saw. He helped me escape right before they began the attack on the village. I went to warn the village, fully intending to find Octavia afterwards. She was already there, though. They captured us and brought us here, and you know the rest," Lincoln told her.

"He didn't attack with the others, right?"

"By the attack, Bellamy appeared to have recovered from his doubts. He attacked with the rest of them. I'm sorry, Clarke."


	33. Chapter 32

Ai Hod Yu In

Chapter 32

**A/N: Hey guys. Sorry it's been so long for an update. This chapter really didn't want to be written. It's finally done, though, and it's longer than expected. I hope everyone is staying as safe as possible in the situation we are all currently in. Enjoy, and I will be back soon with the next chapter**

"She told you you could stay, didn't she?" Octavia demanded, "What did you say?"

"I told her I had to leave. That I had to help my people. We have until dawn before it goes into effect, I just wanted to get Madi's and I's things and take some time to be with her before we have to go. Just spend a little more time," she had to admit it. The desire to spend time with Lexa was strong. She grabbed her daughter and the bags she had packed.

"The kill order goes into effect at dawn," Octavia said to her, grabbing Lincoln's hand and pulling him out the door with him, "Make sure you're there."

"When do you leave?" Lexa asked, walking out of one of the side chambers in her rooms. Clarke felt a flash of regret, of pain at the thought of leaving this amazing woman. They would return to each other one day, though.

"Now," she whispered. She walked forward until she was right before Lexa, "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. You have to go back to your people. That's why I-" she trailed off though, a look of contemplation on her face. "That's why you're you."

Clarke felt a stab of regret. She had a feeling she knew what Lexa wanted to say, but it was true that it couldn't be said right now. It would change everything, and right now they each had their own responsibilities to their people. "Maybe someday you and I will owe nothing more to our people."

"I hope so." Lexa held out her arm, and Clarke clasped her forearm in her hand. "May we meet again,"

Clarke leaned forward, bringing her mouth to Lexa's. There were no words for them right now, just this. Just each other. Their passion only grew, and they moved their forms to the bed and removed their clothes.

It felt like no time at all when Clarke knew she had to go. She stroked her hand up and down Lexa's bare arm, and a smile played at her lips. This was everything she could ever want, and yet she knew that she was about to leave it behind.

"If Octavia, Lincoln, Madi, and I are gonna get behind the blockade by dawn-" Clarke started, cut off by the beautiful woman in front of her shushing her. Her hand trailed to her back, noticing the tattoo there, "This is beautiful."

"I got it on my ascension day. A circle for every natblida that died when the commander chose me," Lexa murmured softly.

"Seven circles. I thought you said there were nine novitiates at your conclave," Clarke asked.

"There were."

"What happened to number eight?" Lexa turned around then.

"Can we talk about something else?"

"We don't have to talk at all," she smirked. They leaned forward to return to their earlier activities when Madi finally made it quite clear that she wanted attention, bursting out with a great wail. Clarke groaned, getting up and checking the girl. Realizing that there was nothing actually wrong with Madi, she began looking around for her daughter's favorite stuffed toy. It was a gift from Lexa, and it was the only thing to calm the termpermental child when she got it in her head that she wanted attention and she wanted it now.

"What are you looking for?" Lexa asked, sitting up from her place in bed.

"The stuffed horse you gave her," Clarke called from her place by her bags. After digging everything out, she finally had to admit it wasn't here, "Damn it. I must have left it in the room."

"You should go get it. I can watch Madi," Lexa told her, finally getting up to search for their clothes. She tossed Clarke hers while she pulled on her own.

"I should just take Madi with me. I'm already behind schedule as it is," she responded, smiling at the commander, "Somebody went and distracted me when I was meant to leave."

"I suppose this is goodbye then. At least for now." Clarke wanted to kiss the other woman again, but she knew that she would never leave if she did that.

"Goodbye, Lexa." And with that, Clarke grabbed the bags and the baby and walked back to their rooms.

She entered to a surprising sight. John Murphy, who she hadn't seen since he left with Jaha to find the City of Light, was tied up in the middle of her room. She spotted the horse laying to the side and shoved the child and toy on the bed, instead rushing to the tied up man.

"He's alive," Titus said, walking out of the shadows. Clarke felt more anger for Titus now than she ever had before.

"What did you do to my friend?" she asked him.

"Your friend was caught stealing from people on their way to the Polis market," he said. John began to groan, and Clarke turned her attention on him for the moment.

"Hey, you're okay. You're okay," she told him, reaching up to remove the gag.

"Please don't do that," Titus told her, causing her to look to him and finally notice the gun he held. She did some mental calculations. Murphy, Madi and her were all in a room with a man with a gun. She stood up and put her hands up.

"Titus, what is this about?" she asked.

"I'm sorry it had to come to this, Clarke. Truly I am."

"Look. I'm leaving right now. My friends are waiting for me. Just let me take Murphy, and we'll all go."

"Wish I could. Lexa will never execute her duty while you live."

"Titus, think. She's gonna know it was you."

"She'll think it was him, Skaikru weapons in the hands of a Skaikru thief. Killing both you and the child? She might even be angry enough to declare war!" A bullet was shot, and Clarke ducked down. She knew it was aimed at her, but how long until he realized one of his targets was completely unprotected on the bed behind him? Clarke had to think, and she had to keep him distracted.

"You would kill me and an innocent child to start a war?" she asked him. She darted over to one side as Titus fired again.

"I would do it to protect her." Another shot. Clarke made her way closer, grabbing a chair and throwing it in his face. She'd grabbed Madi and was going for the door this time when the next shot rang out.

"Lexa," she breathed in horror, cradling the baby's head away from the violence while also watching terrified as the blood began to pour out of Lexa.

"Heda…" Titus cried. Lexa had a look of shock on her face, looking to Clarke once more before falling to the ground.

"No. No." Clarke cried, trying to gently place the baby on the floor again. Lexa simply lay there, gasping for breath. Titus rushed over as well, "Help me get her to the bed!"

Titus picked Lexa up and carried her, "What have I done?"

"I need something to stop the bleeding. You'll be okay. Just lie still, okay. Just lie still."

"Don't be afraid."

"You're gonna be fine. Just stay still." Clarke was aware of how desperate she sounded, how messed up even. She knew that if she let herself feel it, she would break down. She wasn't doing the best job of staying numb, but she was doing better than she had any right to be. Lexa's shirt was ripped open, and black blood covered the young commander's stomach. Lexa had small tears in her eyes, and she was gasping for breath. Clarke poured water, trying to be able to see the wound better, trying to fix this amazing woman, "She's losing too much blood. Stay with me."

She looked over a bit, ready to direct Titus to help her, but the man had taken out some red cloth that was filled with tools and some strange container, "What the hell is that? Titus, what are you doing?" Titus did not seem to be listening to her, and Lexa continued gasping, "I will fix you. Just stay with me. Oh, no. Get away from her."

Titus had made his way to Lexa, and he cradled her head in his hands, "Forgive me, heda."

Lexa said something in response to Titus, but Clarke only really understood that it was about her. Titus said something in return. A tear leaked from Lexa's eyes, and all Clarke wanted to do was shake her. To declare to the other woman that she was not dying today. To tell her that she was not allowed to leave her.

"Hey, hey. Don't you dare give up," Clarke told her.

"I'm not. My spirit will live on."

"NO! I'm not letting you die."

"There's nothing you can do now. The next commander will protect you."

"I don't want the next commander. I want you." Clarke knew she sounded desperate here, but she was barely holding back tears as it was. She wasn't ready to accept that this was Lexa's end. She wasn't ready to give her up.

"I'm ready, heda." Titus said, taking some of Lexa's blood and drawing a line down his forehead.

"Clarke…"

"I'm here."

"Ai gonplai ste odon." My fight is over. The words were heartwrenching for Clarke, who still wasn't ready to admit that this amazing woman in front of her was dying. But she was, and no amount of begging and pleading would change that. And yet, here she was in denial.

"No. No. I won't accept that. You've gotta hold on, Lexa. I need you still. I don't know if I'll ever stop needing you."

"You were right, Clarke. Life is about more than just surviving."

Clarke felt her heart breaking as she finally accepted the truth. She was nearly sobbing as she finally began to say, "In peace may you leave the shore. In love may you find the next. Safe passage on your travels until our final journey on the ground. May we meet again." Clarke ignored everything else around her as she leaned down and kissed Lexa's lips. When she pulled back again, she could only sob harder, knowing that she was gone. She leaned against her, trying to pretend that the other woman's chest still moved, that air still passed through those gorgeous lips of hers. For a moment, she pretended that those brown eyes sparked with mischief and love instead of this void that was there currently. For a moment, it was just as it was only hours ago. The two of them laid on the bed, Madi sleeping in the background. They were happy. But then Madi's screeches, which Clarke didn't even know how long she had ignored, returned. Lexa's eyes grew lifeless again. Clarke felt anger as she heard Titus's breathing from next to her, and she finally realized that Murphy was trying to calm Madi, even though he had no clue who she was. She closed Lexa's eyes, and Titus moved to her, touching her shoulder.

"I must complete the ritual. Please. The commander's spirit must be passed on. This is my purpose. You must allow me to complete the task. It is what the commander wanted." Titus told her. She backed away a bit, her sobs still wracking her entire body, her mind both filled with grief and completely numb at the same time. She was expecting to wake up any minute now, laid in bed next to Lexa. Murphy walked over to her, apparently having been able to quiet the baby.

"Come on. We have to go."

"No."

"Yu gonplei ste odon, Lexa kom Trikru. Gonplei kom heda kee goin." Titus intoned, grabbing Lexa's body and turning her to the side.

"What are you doing?" Clarke cried. Titus removed the clothes off Lexa's neck, and Clarke saw a tattoo on there.

"The sacred symbol." Murphy muttered. Titus took a scalpel.

"What are you doing?" Clarke asked. Titus ignored her, instead cutting into the neck. Something started to rise out, "Oh, my god."

"What the hell?" Murphy asked. Titus grabbed the thing out of Lexa's neck, taking a bunch of wires out with it.

"What is that?"

"It's an A.I." Murphy told her.

"Wrong. It's the spirit of the commander." Titus said, moving to put it away. Clarke's numbness snapped out of her, filling her instead with fear. This was the thing she had really been protecting Madi from all along? An A.I.? How could she even protect her from something like that? She knew one thing for certain, though. That thing was going nowhere near her daughter. Her terror only grew as she understood what happened next. The conclave.


	34. Chapter 33

Ai Hod Yu In

Chapter 33

Clarke glanced over at Murphy for a moment. He was laying down on the bed, right next to the blood stain that had come from Lexa. She had to wince, remembering Lexa's pale pain filled face. She had been a light, but now she was gone. Gone from the world that she had dedicated herself so much to.

Titus had taken Lexa and left the three of them here. He'd said nothing more to them, and Clarke hadn't really wanted to see him anymore anyways. Whether he'd meant to or not, he was the reason Lexa was dead. He was the reason that an amazing leader was gone from the world.

Madi had been hard to calm down from the absolute chaos that had happened. She was clingier than normal, which Clarke could honestly say she had no objection to. At the moment, the thought of putting the girl down was unthinkable. She was a bit afraid that if she did, the baby too would disappear.

She didn't know how she could do this. Lexa had meant so much to her, even if their past had some dark spots in it. They had come so far. How could she come back from that again? She supposed she would probably never turn herself over to a relationship again, not when it undoubtedly meant that person would end up dying on her. She didn't need anyone but Madi in her little family.

"So where'd you get the kid?" Murphy finally asked her after what felt like hours, dragging her out of her mood. Clarke rolled her eyes, trying to make sure she had no other response like more crying. There was too much death in her life. She could not think about it.

"She's mine, Murphy. Where do you think I got her?" Clarke shot back at him. He smirked at her, getting up and walking over.

"Come on, Princess. We both know that baby isn't yours. I pay attention, you know," Clarke wanted to panic, but she knew that she had two choices here. She could continue playing dumb, risking Murphy telling someone else whatever theory he had on where she had gotten Madi, or she could tell him everything, and risk him actually knowing something so important. Perhaps Murphy understood her better than she thought, for his face softened after a moment, "I promise I won't tell anyone. It'll be our little secret, swear. I just want to know."

Clarke would later blame it on the trauma of the day. She'd probably blame it on the fact that she had so many secrets and so few to share them with. She might even blame it on her slowly growing belief that one day she might have to sacrifice herself to save those she loved. More than that, though, she blamed it on the fact that she wanted to trust John Murphy, of all people.

"How long do you have?" she asked him jokingly, sitting down and patting the spot next to her for him, "This is just between us. Nobody else can ever know. But it all started when I left Arkadia after Mount Weather fell. Eventually I made my way to a city where I met a small family. And that is where I met Madi."


	35. Chapter 34

Ai Hod Yu In

Chapter 34

It was dark by the time Clarke heard the horn. She was staring out the window of the tower, lost in her thoughts, when it sounded. She knew what it meant.

"The conclave must be starting," she murmured aloud, not quite sure if she was even talking to anyone as she said it. She felt numb at this point, which she supposed may not be the worst thing. Clarke was not afraid to admit that if not for Madi, she was not sure what she would be doing right now. The pain of another loss laid heavy on her shoulders, and her daughter was the reason she continued to stand at all.

Further into the room, Murphy rolled off the bed and began to walk towards her, "Cool. Do you see anything?"

She turned further in, giving the young man who had once been so far from her trusted friend a look. He scoffed at her, a half smile on his face, "Come on, what? A bunch of grounders fighting to the death to see who gets an AI built in their brain? That doesn't sound fun to you?"

"No, Murphy. Especially because of that thing that we literally just talked about a few hours ago," she told him with a glare.

"What, you don't want your little girl to have your ex in her head?" he joked to her. He must have realized it was too soon from the icy rage in her eyes at that comment, because he held his hands up and shrugged, "Sorry, too soon. But remember Clarke, Madi's only a baby right now. They wouldn't want a commander that young anyways. No one even knows about her blood. She's safe."

She walked over to the door, trying it and finding it locked. She banged on it a few times before turning around in defeat, looking at Murphy, "This has nothing to do with Madi or Lexa. We need to make sure Aden wins."

Just then, the door opened to reveal Titus. Clarke felt a moment of vindictive pleasure upon seeing the pain in his eyes. He should be in pain, just like Clarke would be if she allowed her walls to lower just a little bit. He was the reason Lexa was gone. He was the reason Clarke and Madi had been in danger in the first place. He should be in pain.

"What, you come here to finish the job?" Murphy asked him. Glancing over at him, she noticed he had moved to stand in between Titus and the cradle that housed her defenseless daughter. She felt a bit of affection for him as she realized that perhaps he would protect her daughter as well.

"No," the man said sadly, "I'm here to fulfill my vow to Lexa. Put these on."

He shoved a cloak in Clarke's hands before doing the same to Murphy. Murphy didn't hesitate, simply started to walk out. Clarke, meanwhile, took a moment to consider.

"Clarke, the door we've been banging on for the last 24 hours is open. Grab Madi and your bag. We're going," he told her. She felt anger fill her again, felt the other emotions rising up as well. She took the cloak and threw it at Titus.

"You killed your commander. How are you still free?" she asked the man, needing answers.

"I am the only Flamekeeper. Now, please. If you go now, you can slip in with the crowds arriving for tomorrow's conclave," he told her.

"You heard the man. All right, let's go."

"I need to see Aden first," Clarke demanded.

"That's out of the question. The natblidas have begun the purification ritual," Titus responded.

"That sounds kind of private, Clarke."

"Where?"

"Are you nuts? Seriously, have you lost your mind?" Murphy asked her after she had finished demanding answers from Titus, "What about getting Madi out of here?"

"That's what you're going to do," he gave her a look, and she rushed to respond to his unspoken question, "Look, I need to make sure that Aden is going to hold true to the things Lexa said. And you are right, Madi needs to get out of here as quickly as possible. I can't do both, but I can trust you. And I do trust you, Murphy. So I need you to take my daughter and head towards Arkadia. I'll be right behind you, I promise. I just can't leave yet. And she can't stay. Please, Murphy. Protect her."

"I will, Clarke. But you better be right behind me, because I do not do babies. And I most certainly am not a damn babysitter."


End file.
